Your neck soreness is most likely related to swelling of the lymph nodes of your neck and is a non-specific finding.
The term "mucocutaneous lesions" is likelywise a gereral. non-specific term. Trying to generate more specificity for the term is nothing more than an excercise in frustration and a waste of time. EWH
Oh I probably should have been more clear. i didn't have a sore throat which I usually have with my URI infections. This was more of a particular soreness along my anterior left neck in the soft tissue. Maybe a swollen gland? I don't know if that changes anything.
Thank you for a prompt and reassuring response! The dermatomal distribution and vesicular lesions look identical to most of the images I've seen for palatal herpes. If we were to just assume herpetic lesions, is that what they mean when they describe "mucocutaneous" ulcerations of ARS or is that referring to a different presentation?
Welcome to our Forum. I'll be glad to comment. My guess is that what is going on here is neither a new manifestation of your oral herpes nor ARS related to recent HIV acquisition. While I, like your doctor would have probably initiated valacyclovir because of concern that your sore throat and palate lesions might be HSV, my suspicion is that this is not a recurrence of your HSV-1. As you point out, typically HSV/cold sore recurrences follow a somewhat predictable pattern and with the exception of initial episodes to have lesions inside the mouth is quite unusual. Another uncommon but well described possibility is that you may have acquired oral HSV-2 from performance of oral sex. If so the valacyclovir should help.
This is not a manifestation of the ARS. The onset is too soon to be ARS, acquisition of HIV from fellatio, while reported, is extraordinarily rare, and the other symptoms you mention would be atypical.
What is most likely is that this is a non-HIV, non-HSV viral infection acquired in your travels, perhaps through direct contact (i.e. kissing if it occurred) or through your activities of daily living during the travels. There are many community acquired viral infections that can cause oral vesicles and sore throat.
At this time, in addition to continuing your valacyclovir, there is little to do other than take symptomatic treatment and wait this out. On valacyclovir there is little benefit to viral culture or PCR. Should the symptoms get worse, you may wish to seek the advice of your doctor to make sure this is not a bacterial infection.
I hope my comments are helpful. EWH