[Question #14100] Is visual diagnosis of cold sore alone accurate? Alternative explanations?
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1 hours ago
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In 2024, I developed a sore on my upper lip 5 days after a lip-gloss tester touched the area shortly after waxing. A doctor thought it was a cold sore, but it was never swabbed. HSV-1 and HSV-2 IgG tests were negative at about 3 and 6 months, and I have had no recurrence in 2 years. Based on this history, should I disclose oral HSV-1 before kissing or oral sex, or is the evidence too uncertain? Would you recommend a Western blot or other testing? If this was not herpes, what else might it have been?
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Terri Warren, RN, Nurse Practitioner
1 hours ago
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It sounds like perhaps this was not a cold sore after all, but the routine IgG tests miss anywhere from 30-8% of HSV 1 infections, so a western blot would give you a more accurate answer about your HSV 1 status. I honestly don't know what else this might be. What did it look like, exactly, how long did it last on your lip?
Terri
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