Definition of Membranous gingivitis, acute

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Membranous gingivitis, acute: A progressive and painful infection of the mouth and throat due to the spread of infection from the gums. Symptoms include ulceration, swelling, and sloughing off of dead tissue from the mouth and throat. Certain germs (including fusiform bacteria and spirochetes) have been thought to be involved, but the actual cause is not yet known. Like most other poorly understood diseases, acute membranous gingivitis goes by many other names, including acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis, fusospirillary gingivitis, fusospirillosis, fusospirochetal gingivitis, necrotizing gingivitis, phagedenic gingivitis, trench mouth, ulcerative gingivitis, ulcerative stomatitis, Vincent angina, Vincent gingivitis, Vincent infection, and Vincent stomatitis.