Epstein-Barr virus and associated head and neck manifestations

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), also called human herpes virus 4, is a virus of the herpes family, having linear double-stranded DNA as its genome. It is best known as the cause of infectious mononucleosis. Besides this, EBV is also associated with particular forms of malignancy, particularly Hodgkin′s lymphoma, Burkitt′s lymphoma, and nasopharyngeal carcinoma, all of which may show their prime manifestations in head and neck area, for which patient may seek a dentist referral initially. In addition, EBV is linked with oral hairy leukoplakia, which may be an earliest oral manifestation of HIV infection. This review article primarily deals with clinical manifestations of diseases associated with EBV infection particularly in head and neck area.