Services at the UM Medical Center
See a complete list of Specialty Services and Departments at UMMC.Herpes simplex
Description
An in-depth report on the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of herpes simplex.
Alternative Names
Genital herpes; Fever blisters; Cold sores
Similar Conditions
Canker Sores (Aphthous Ulcers). Common canker sores (known medically as aphthous ulcers ) are often confused with the cold sores of HSV-1. Canker sores frequently crop up singly or in groups on the inside of the mouth or on or under the tongue. They are usually white or grayish crater-like ulcers with a sharp edge and a red rim. They usually heal in 2 weeks without treatment.
Canker sores (Aphthous ulcers) are very common. Typically, they are a shallow ulcer with a white or whitish/yellow base surrounded by a reddish border. This ulcer is seen in an individual with AIDS and is located in front and just below the bottom teeth.
Thrush (Candidiasis). Candidiasis is a yeast infection that causes a whitish overgrowth in the mouth. It is most common in infants but can appear in people of all ages, particularly those with impaired immune systems.
Other conditions that may be confused with oral herpes include herpangina (a form of the Coxsackie A virus), sore throat caused by strep or other bacteria, and infectious mononucleosis.
Genital Disorders
Conditions that may be confused with HSV-2 include bacterial and yeast infections, genital warts, herpes zoster (shingles), molluscum (a virus disease which produces small rounded swellings), scabies, syphilis, and certain cancers.
Urinary Tract Infections
In a few cases, HSV-2 may occur without lesions and resemble cystitis and urinary tract infections.
Eye Injuries
Simple corneal scratches can cause the same pain as herpetic infection, but these usually resolve within 24 hours and don't exhibit the corneal lesions characteristic of herpes simplex.
Skin Disorders
Skin disorders that may mimic herpes simplex include shingles and chicken pox (both caused by varicella-zoster, another herpes virus), impetigo, and Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a serious inflammatory disease usually caused by a drug allergy.
- Review Date: 10/1/2006
- Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital
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