Oral hairy leukoplakia as a sign of HIV infection

Described for the first time in 1984, oral hairy leukoplakia (OHL) is strongly associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease, although some cases have been reported in HIV negative individuals. After the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy, the prevalence of OHL in HIV patients declined significantly. OHL has been convincingly shown to be related to Epstein-Barr virus. Cytopathologic examination is considered the best method for OHL diagnosis. This report describes a case of OHL in an HIV patient, whose HIV status was unknown at the time of OHL diagnosis.