Soft Palate lesions

Dr. Rockoff, I know you're not an ENT but since you're a dermatologist I thought I'd ask anyway.

For the past 6 years or so I've gotten lesions on the top of my mouth (soft palate, not hard palater). They are very itchy and last up to a month before going away. I tend to scratch them w my throat which makes it worse. It will go away for a few months and come back. I do have HSV-1 on my lip, but my body does very well at controlling it (1 outbreak every 2-3 years on average). My ENT suggested the throat issue could be HSV, but its soft palate location and duration doesn't seem typical. What do you think? It's a major annoyance.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
It is very less likely for herpes sores to present inside the mouth except in children. You should get a culture sensitivity done of the oral lesions to check whether they are viral or bacterial. If bacterial infection is confirmed then you need a course of antibiotics and if it is viral infection then you need antivirals.

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 doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.