Acta Médica del Centro (Jan 2013)
Oral manifestations of dengue
Abstract
Dengue is an acute infectious disease caused by a virus that has as the main vector the Aedes aegypti mosquito. Due to its increasing transmission, predominantly in urban and semi-urban areas, it has become a major health problem. This disease is characterized by the widest variety of symptoms known. Among the oral manifestations that appear in patients suffering from dengue there are the hyperpigmentation or redness of the mucosa and gums accompanied by gingival bleeding, petechiae, furred tongue, xerostomia, bitter taste, pharyngeal discomfort when swallowing, lymphadenopathy, arthralgia in the temporomandibular joint and others. It is vital that health professionals are integrated and are constantly aware of all the symptoms that identify this dangerous disease in order to prevent, diagnose and treat it.