Hairy leukoplakia with involvement of the buccal mucosa

Abstract

Oral hairy leukoplakia occurs mainly on the tongue of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected persons. An HIV-infected patient with hairy leukoplakia involving the tongue and buccal mucosa was studied by light and electron microscopic methods, in situ hybridization, and polymerase chain reaction. Our findings indicate that hairy leukoplakia may involve the buccal mucosa and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of white oral lesions in HIV-positive patients. Epstein-Barr virus particles were found in the epithelial cells of both buccal and tongue mucosa.