Pharmacy-Based Assessment and Management of Herpes Labialis (Cold Sores) with Antiviral Therapy

Surveillance for antiviral-agent-resistant herpes simplex virus in the general population with recurrent herpes labialis.

In a general population survey in the United States, the prevalence of antiviral-agent-resistant herpes simplex virus was very low among more than 1,000 isolates from individuals with an episode of recurrent herpes labialis not treated with topical antiviral agents. Two isolates had borderline resistance to acyclovir (0.2%), and all were susceptible to penciclovir.

Short-course therapy for recurrent genital herpes and herpes labialis.

Cold Sores

Cold sores are caused by a herpes virus, most often the herpes simplex 1 virus. Cold sores should not be confused with canker sores, which are small ulcerations in the mouth. Rather, cold sores are fluid-filled blisters that form on the gums and the outside of the mouth and lips. The blisters, which are contagious, later break, ooze, and crust over before healing. Recurrences are common and can...

Erythema multiforme associated with herpes labialis.

1428 CMAJ, November 5, 2013, 185(16) © 2013 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors A35-year-old woman presented to the emergency department with a recurrent rash on the backs of both hands related to what she described as a “fever blister” on her lower lip. In the previous 2 years, she had experienced more than 12 similar eruptions involving both her lip and hands. She was not taking any...

Effectiveness of topical corticosteroids in addition to antiviral therapy in the management of recurrent herpes labialis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Recurrent herpes labialis (RHL) is one of the most common viral infections worldwide. The available treatments have limited efficacy in preventing the recurrence of ulcerative lesions and reducing the duration of illness. The objective of this review was to identify the effectiveness of topical corticosteroids in addition to antiviral therapy in the treatment of RHL infection. METH...