NDHCE General and Oral Pathology 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which pathological process describes irreversible pulpal necrosis resulting from ischemia after traumatic injury to the tooth?
- Internal resorption
- Hypercementosis
- Pulp calcification
- Pulp necrosis (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Pulp necrosis
Pulp necrosis is the death of pulpal tissue due to ischemia (loss of blood supply), often following trauma that severs the apical vessels, making it irreversible.
Question 2: A patient with Sjögren's syndrome is at highest risk for which oral complication?
- Gingival hyperplasia
- Rapid rampant dental caries (Correct answer)
- Oral candidiasis only
- Torus palatinus formation
Correct answer: Rapid rampant dental caries
Sjögren's syndrome causes severe xerostomia due to autoimmune destruction of salivary glands, dramatically increasing the risk of rapid rampant dental caries from loss of saliva's protective effects.
Question 3: Which type of cyst is derived from the reduced enamel epithelium and surrounds the crown of an unerupted tooth?
- Radicular cyst
- Dentigerous cyst (Correct answer)
- Lateral periodontal cyst
- Nasopalatine duct cyst
Correct answer: Dentigerous cyst
A dentigerous (follicular) cyst develops from the reduced enamel epithelium that surrounds the crown of an unerupted tooth, attaching at the cementoenamel junction.
Question 4: Erythroplakia is considered more clinically significant than leukoplakia because it has a higher rate of:
- Recurrence after treatment
- Spontaneous resolution
- Malignant transformation (Correct answer)
- Viral etiology
Correct answer: Malignant transformation
Erythroplakia (red velvety patches) has a significantly higher rate of malignant transformation than leukoplakia, with the majority of lesions showing dysplasia or carcinoma on biopsy.
Question 5: Which condition is characterized by bilateral, painful oral ulcers affecting the non-keratinized mucosa, often recurring monthly, and is NOT associated with trauma?
- Primary herpetic gingivostomatitis
- Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) (Correct answer)
- Recurrent herpes labialis
- Behçet's disease
Correct answer: Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS)
Recurrent aphthous stomatitis presents as recurrent, painful ulcers on non-keratinized mucosa (e.g., buccal and labial mucosa), cycling approximately monthly, without a confirmed infectious etiology.
Question 6: An exophytic nodule of fibrous connective tissue on the gingiva caused by chronic low-grade irritation is best termed:
- Pyogenic granuloma
- Peripheral ossifying fibroma
- Peripheral giant cell granuloma
- Irritation fibroma (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Irritation fibroma
An irritation fibroma (traumatic fibroma) is a reactive hyperplasia of fibrous connective tissue in response to chronic irritation, appearing as a smooth, sessile or pedunculated nodule.
Question 7: Which radiographic appearance is most consistent with a periapical abscess?
- Well-defined radiolucency with a sclerotic border
- Diffuse radiolucency at the root apex (Correct answer)
- Generalized alveolar bone loss
- Widening of the periodontal ligament space only
Correct answer: Diffuse radiolucency at the root apex
A periapical abscess typically appears as an ill-defined, diffuse radiolucency at the root apex due to acute bone destruction without time for reactive bone formation.
NDHCE General and Oral Pathology 2
Which pathological process describes irreversible pulpal necrosis resulting from ischemia after traumatic injury to the tooth?