Which condition is caused by herpes simplex virus and presents as lesions around the mouth?

Which condition is caused by herpes simplex virus and presents as lesions around the mouth?

• A. Cold Sores
• B. Shingles
• C. Warts
• D. Burns

Answer: (A)

Cold sores are caused by herpes simplex virus, usually HSV-1, and they appear as small, grouped vesicles on a red base around the lips. You may feel tingling or itching before they erupt, and after bursting they crust over. This pattern—oral vesicular lesions near the mouth that recur in response to triggers like stress, sun exposure, or illness—fits best with oral herpes. Shingles, caused by the varicella-zoster virus, presents as a painful, unilateral vesicular rash that follows a dermatomal band, often on the trunk or face but not typically as simple mouth-area lesions. Warts result from human papillomavirus and show up as rough, flesh-colored bumps, not vesicular clusters around the lips. Burns are tissue injuries from heat or chemicals and aren’t infectious lesions like cold sores. So, the feature set of vesicular lesions around the mouth due to HSV-1 clearly points to cold sores as the correct understanding.

Cold sores are caused by herpes simplex virus, usually HSV-1, and they appear as small, grouped vesicles on a red base around the lips. You may feel tingling or itching before they erupt, and after bursting they crust over. This pattern—oral vesicular lesions near the mouth that recur in response to triggers like stress, sun exposure, or illness—fits best with oral herpes.

Shingles, caused by the varicella-zoster virus, presents as a painful, unilateral vesicular rash that follows a dermatomal band, often on the trunk or face but not typically as simple mouth-area lesions. Warts result from human papillomavirus and show up as rough, flesh-colored bumps, not vesicular clusters around the lips. Burns are tissue injuries from heat or chemicals and aren’t infectious lesions like cold sores.

So, the feature set of vesicular lesions around the mouth due to HSV-1 clearly points to cold sores as the correct understanding.