possible false negative?

[brenb]

I found a pimple/sore on the lower shaft of my penis on Oct 10. There was a lttle fluid and one more smaller pimple nearby. I went to a clinic on Oct 13. By this time the pimple's were quite dry, possibly beacuse I had cleaned thoroughly with soap the morning of the vistit. The doctor scraped the two items and looked under the microscope for herpes virus. Found nothing, and seemed to downplay the herpes fear. However, also said that I should come back and have any new sores tested sooner, when they were more recent. I never experienced any pain/tingling/burning, or any flu like symptoms. My concern is; now (oct 28) the main sore has yet to heal. It will scab slighltly, and shed the scab tissue, and remain red and scab slightly again. I have masterbated 3 times (not vigorously), but not at all in the past 7 days. My question; should I have a herpes select blood test, or can I be secure in the original negative result?

[H. Hunter Handsfield, M.D.]

Herpes is the most common overall cause of genital ulcers and pimple-like lesions.  But I have no way of guessing whether you have herpes or something else, like a pimple.



Looking for herpes under the microscope (called the Tzanck test) is useless; it usually is negative even in people with herpes.  This is, you definitely cannot be secure in the result of that test.  You need a blood test for HSV.



Good luck--  HHH, MD