To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report describing the use of famciclovir in treating OHL. A potential limitation in this report may be that our diagnosis lacks histological examination and definitive demonstration of EBV DNA, RNA or proteins within the epithelial cells of the lesion. However, this may be unimportant, as the very highly suggestive appearance, the typical involvement of the lateral border of the tongue and the patient’s HIV status are enough to make the diagnosis. 1 Although this is only a single report, the rapid and complete healing observed, and the lack of side-effects and recurrence after 1year of follow-up, would suggest that famciclovir needs to be tested on a large scale as a potentially effective, very well tolerated and more convenient therapeutic option in treating OHL.