Which laboratory finding is expected in cases of acute herpetic gingivostomatitis?

The presence of multinucleated giant cells is a characteristic laboratory finding associated with acute herpetic gingivostomatitis. This condition is primarily caused by the herpes simplex virus (often type 1), which leads to the development of vesicular lesions in the oral cavity. When specimens from these lesions are examined microscopically, you may observe multinucleated giant cells as a result of the fusion of infected epithelial cells. This finding is indicative of a herpes virus infection.

In contrast, thrombocytopenia is often associated with conditions like viral infections or bone marrow disorders, but it is not specifically linked to herpes infections. Heterophile antibodies are typically seen in infectious mononucleosis due to Epstein-Barr virus, not in herpetic gingivostomatitis. Lastly, elevated liver function tests (LFTs) are more indicative of liver pathology or systemic viral infections, but they do not specifically correlate with the oral manifestations seen in herpetic gingivostomatitis. Thus, the presence of multinucleated giant cells is a definitive aspect of diagnosing and understanding the pathology associated with acute herpetic gingivostomatitis.