Cheilitis?

I have read on other posts and decided that I most likely have Cheilitis glandularis.  It first starts out as sores on my bottom and top lip just inside my mouth, then it goes on to being very sore, red, swollen with little bumps under the skin.  It then goes to the stage where my lips are constantly flaking, not peeling, the skin literally just falls off, and keeps on doing that for a few weeks.  My doctor prescribed aciclover, antibiotics, canesten, and I tried blistex, lip balm and vaseline.  I was referred to a dermatologist who said it may be caused by stress or sun, I don't believe it is sun as I have been out in the sun plenty of times and nothing has happened.  My lips never really went back to normal after the episode a couple of months ago, i was always applying vaseline and now it has suddenly happened again.  I have tried researching this but I can't seem to find anything regarding cures.  I am seeing my doctor again on wednesday and am going to ask to see the dermatologist again.  Please could you tell me what CURES there might be, will i have to live with this for the rest of my life?  Where would a lip biopsy be taken from on the lip and how much scarring would be left?  I'm very upset about this and my boyfriend doesn't believe it's serious.  Please help.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

Treatment of cheilitis glandularis is specific for the symptom and you have to get a biopsy skin done to confirm. It can be causing infection of the lips or dysplastic changes. Suppurative cases of cheilitis glandularis require management with appropriate antimicrobial treatment as determined by culture and sensitivity testing.

For dysplastic one, you can use 5 fluorouracil. However for chronic inflammation, using combined oral minocycline plus tacrolimus ointment  is often useful.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your dermatologist. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.