AANP Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Certification ExamAssessmentEasy
A 4-year-old child presents with a 2-day history of fever, poor oral intake, and multiple painful vesicles and ulcers on the posterior pharynx, tonsillar pillars, and uvula. The child denies skin rash or lesions on hands and feet. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?
- AStreptococcal pharyngitis
- BAphthous stomatitis
- CHand-Foot-Mouth Disease
- DHerpangina
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. Herpangina
Herpangina is characterized by vesicles and ulcers primarily in the posterior pharynx, tonsillar pillars, and uvula. Unlike Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease, it typically does not involve skin lesions on the hands or feet.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Streptococcal pharyngitis typically presents with erythema and exudates, not vesicles or ulcers.
- B. Aphthous stomatitis presents as solitary or multiple painful ulcers on non-keratinized mucosa, but is not typically associated with fever or widespread pharyngeal involvement like herpangina.
- C. Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease presents with similar oral lesions but also involves vesicular lesions on the hands and feet.
Herpangina
A viral illness characterized by small, painful vesicles and ulcers on the posterior oropharynx, often accompanied by fever.
- Caused by coxsackievirus A
- Affects primarily young children
- Lesions are typically confined to the soft palate, tonsils, and uvula
Memory trick: Herpangina Hides in the Hinterlands (posterior throat)