Oral hairy leukoplakia-like lesions in an HIV-negative male: a case report

Oral hairy leukoplakia is generally found only in HIV-seropositive individuals or in those who are at risk of developing this infection; its occurrence is accepted to be a reliable predictor for the development of AIDS in those patients who are not already suffering from this disease. This report describes an 18-year-old male who was proven to be HIV-seronegative, was not in any of the at-risk groups associated with this infection, but who had the typical features of oral hairy leukoplakia, clinically and histologically. In such individuals these lesions should be described as hairy leukoplakia-like lesions.