What Causes A Small White Split At The Side Of The Mouth?

Posted on Sat, 6 Feb 2016

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

Sat, 6 Feb 2016 Answered on

Wed, 6 Apr 2016 Last reviewed on

Question : i started with a split on the corner of my my then all of a sudden it started to turn white i went to my doctor and he gave me some cream can't remember name of it but it was for a fungus and it's not working now the other side is starting to do the same thing could you help

Answered by Dr. Dr. Michelle Gibson (42 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
may be angular stomatitis/chelitis

Detailed Answer:
HI, thanks for using healthcare magic

It is possible that you may have angular chelitis/stomatitis which refers to the presence of split at the side of the mouth.

In some persons, this may be due to iron deficiency , vitamin b12 deficiency or folate deficiency.
Blood tests such as a complete blood count, vitamin b12 or folate levels would determine if this is the case. If this is a problem then replacement would help.

This split can inflame and crust over and may become infected in some persons. Treatment is with a combination of an anti fungal medication, anti bacterial and a mild steroid cream to treat the inflammation (eg hydrocortisone).
Eg of anti bacterial cream eg bactroban.

You may need to treat for a few weeks to note any response.

I hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions

Note: Hope the answers resolves your concerns, however for further guidance of skin related queries consult our Dermatologist.Click here to book a consultation

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