Lupus and Oral sores

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Canker sores are shallow, painful sores in your mouth. They

are usually red or may sometimes have a white coating over them. You might

get them on the inside of your lips, the insides of your cheeks or under

your tongue. Canker sores are different from fever blisters, which usually

are on the outside of your lips or the corners of your mouth.

Cold sores usually show up on the border of your lips,

right where your facial skin begins, but they can also erupt on your nose,

fingertips and other areas of your skin. They are caused by the herpes

simplex virus, which, once acquired, lies dormant in your spinal cord and

certain areas of your brain until your immune system lets down its guard

or becomes preoccupied with important business, such as fending off the

flu or a cold. (That's why they're called cold sores.) Given the opportunity,

the virus scampers out, usually to the original site of infection.

Cancer and AIDS patients are often put on full-time suppressive drug

therapy to prevent outbreaks of the herpes virus, which has a field day

when the immune system is weakened. Lupus patients may also have problems

with cold sores because of immune weakness.

Lupus lesions can occur in the mouth, on the hands, legs,

arms, scalp, or trunk of the body. A biopsy is taken to determine if the

lesion is caused from lupus destroying the skin or mucous membranes, or

if it is caused by herpes simplex, or another fungus or parasite.

By visual checking, the lesions look alike .. only a skin biopsy can

tell the difference.