Several
viruses can infect the oral mucosa causing either an established disease or the
viruses are shed into the saliva as passengers. The clinical spectrum of oral
viral infections is variable from ulcers to hyperkeratotic growth, making the
clinical recognition of the lesions difficult. An accurate diagnosis of viral
disease usually needs laboratory tests. Herpes viruses are a common cause of
oral infections. All herpes viruses have the propensity for subclinical
infection, latency following the primary infection and reactivation. There is
conclusive evidence on Epstein Barr virus as contributing factor of the endemic
Burkitt´s lymphoma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The clinical
manifestations of oral enterovirus infection include herpangina and hand, foot
and mouth disease. In the oral cavity human papillomaviruses may induce
hyperplastic, papillomatous and verrucous squamous cell lesions. These viruses
have an important impact on the emergence of oral carcinomas. In other
virus-associated malignancies cofactors, immune status and genetic background
might play an important role.
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