Cytomegalovirus infections of the oral cavity. A report of six cases and review of the literature.

Overview

Cytomegalovirus is responsible for a significant percentage of asymptomatic viral infections worldwide. Although virtually any cell or organ may be infected, involvement of the oral cavity is uncommon. Only nine well-documented examples of intraoral cytomegalovirus infections were found in a review of the English-language literature. We report six additional examples, five of which possessed unique clinical and histopathologic characteristics. The light and electron-microscopic features of cytomegalovirus are discussed, as well as diagnostic adjuncts such as immunohistochemistry and deoxyribonucleic acid in situ hybridization.