Can Cold Sores Leave A White Patch Behind?

Posted on Mon, 20 Apr 2015

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Mon, 20 Apr 2015 Answered on

Mon, 18 May 2015 Last reviewed on

Question : Can cold sores leave a white patch behind? I have a small white patch above my lip where I've had cold sores in the past. No pain at all. if you touch it, you can feel it is like a small lump. I tried popping it over a month ago and once all the fluid came out (it didn't pop - it mainly popped the skin and fluid came out), it appeared gone at first. Then it ended up coming back and slowly going back to its original size.

Answered by Dr. Geetika Paul (21 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Cystic lesion over face ,might need removal

Detailed Answer:
Hi

I have seen the attached pictures .
You seem to have developed a small cyst over the face at the site of healing of herpes infection .
It might keep recurring again and again .Avoid touching or squeezing the lesion ,since it might lead to superadded infections .
So you should see a nearby dermatologist who can check the lesion and either give an intralesional injection into the lesion or advice removal .

Dr Geetika Paul

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar