Pathology · single question
A patient wakes with a burning, painful tongue but exam shows no visible lesions. The most likely diagnosis is:
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Correct answer: C. Burning mouth syndrome (BMS)
- A. Candidiasis usually shows wipeable plaques or erythema — visible signs.
- B. A traumatic ulcer would present a visible lesion.
- C. Correct. BMS is burning pain with a clinically normal-appearing mucosa (a diagnosis of exclusion).
- D. Geographic tongue shows characteristic migratory erythematous patches with white borders — visible.