Oral mucosal diseases in the office setting--part I: Aphthous stomatitis and herpes simplex infections.

This article is an update and review of the most common nontraumatic ulcerative and vesicular lesions of the oral cavity. Details concerning their etiology, pathogenesis, clinical presentation, differential diagnosis, and management are included. Comparisons are made between the various forms of aphthous ulcerations and their viral counterparts. Lesions of herpes simplex origin are described for both primary and recurrent or secondary forms and differentiation from aphthous ulcerations is made. Treatment options for both the chronic and more acute forms of this condition are discussed.