What is the most likely diagnosis for a child with shallow oral ulcerations and low-grade fever?

The presence of shallow oral ulcerations along with a low-grade fever in a child is indicative of herpangina. This condition, primarily caused by coxsackieviruses, often manifests with painful vesicular lesions in the oral cavity, particularly on the soft palate and tonsils, which can progress to ulcerations. The low-grade fever commonly accompanies the infection, contributing to the overall symptom profile.

Herpangina typically occurs in younger children and can be associated with other symptoms such as sore throat, difficulty swallowing, and irritability. The combination of these symptoms—specifically the oral ulcers in conjunction with fever—points to herpangina as the most likely diagnosis.

Other conditions like oral thrush, while presenting with oral lesions, usually do not cause associated fever and have a distinct appearance (white patches that can be scraped off). Hand, foot, and mouth disease can present similarly with lesions in the mouth, but it is often accompanied by rashes on the hands and feet, which were not mentioned in this case. Stomatitis refers to inflammation of the mouth that can have various causes, but it lacks the specific viral etiology found in herpangina. Thus, the specific combination of symptoms aligns most closely with herpangina