One small sore... Should I be alarmed?

[tswizzle]

The past few days I have been sick with the flu. Fever, chills, nausea, headache.... the works. Anyways, yesterday I noticed a small red bump just inside my vagina on my labia majora. I didn't think too much of it, as I had been laying in bed for three days, things probably werent as clean as they could be. Today however it is slightly larger and white. It looks really similar to a canker (not cold) sore actually.

I am of course jumping to the worst possible conclusions and I can't see my doctor until Monday. I am posting this for an opinion. Before you jump on the herpes topic... let me say that I am not a virgin. But I also haven't had sex since my one and only partner 2 years ago. I returned from working in Africa in January and was voluntarily tested for EVERYTHING during my physical. All my std and my HIV tests came out negative (yay). I have not been sexually active since then. Not oral, nothing.

I am wondering if this could be just a sore due to my sickness? I will go see my doctor as soon as I can get in, but some answers in the mean time would be appreciated.  Thanks.

[Dr Sean Cummings]

Hi Terri,

Thanks for that - absolutely right and one I missed.

Best regards, Sean

[Terri Warren, RN, Adult Nurse Practitioner]

I'm going to also add that most STD screens do not include herpes, but you could check and see if yours did, just to be certain.

[Dr Sean Cummings]

Good Morning,

You've answered your own question! I think it very likely that this is a Bartholin's gland remnant that has become inflammed. This does sometimes happen even with effective surgery to remove a gland especially if the surgery is done when there is a great deal of inflammation etc.

I think you should do as you plan and go and see your doctor and have a discussion. You may need further small surgery but equally a course of antibiotics may help.

very best, Sean

[tswizzle]

I'm going to add a little to this. In July I had a bartholin cyst that abcessed... quite painfully in fact. I ended up in the hospital. This happened right after I was home sick for a few days. This looks exactly like my bartholin. Is there another gland that could be having the same issue?