A healthy adult has recurring episodes of a cluster of small, painful ulcers on the hard palate, preceded by tingling, and one episode followed a dental injection. What is the most likely diagnosis?

Explanations

• In healthy people, recurrent intraoral herpes typically affects keratinized mucosa bound to bone (hard palate, attached gingiva), often after local trauma, with a tingling prodrome. Minor aphthae usually occur on non-keratinized mucosa such as the labial and buccal mucosa.

  Source: Neville et al., Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology — oneguy