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Published on: 3/5/2025

What Are the Possible Causes of a Bump on My Lip?

A bump on your lip can have many causes including infections, healing from an injury, benign growths like nerve cell tumors, or rarely, early signs of cancer.

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Explanation

There are several reasons why you might have a bump on your lip. One common cause is an infection. Viruses or fungi can sometimes cause small bumps to appear on the lip. Cold sores are one such example. These bumps are usually temporary and go away on their own. Another possibility is that the bump is forming as your body heals after a small injury, like accidentally biting your lip. The healing process can sometimes create a little extra tissue in one spot. In some cases, the bump could be a benign growth such as an oral neural neoplasm. This means it is made up of nerve cells and is usually not harmful. Very rarely, a bump might be an early sign of oral squamous cell carcinoma, a type of cancer. However, these cancerous bumps are less common and usually come with changes like alterations in size, color, or shape. If the bump lasts a long time or changes, it’s a good idea to see a doctor to find out the cause and get the right treatment.

(References)

  • Glick M, Siegel MA. Viral and fungal infections of the oral cavity in immunocompetent patients. Infect Dis Clin North Am. 1999 Dec;13(4):817-31, vi. doi: 10.1016/s0891-5520(05)70110-0. PMID: 10579110.

  • Choi S, Myers JN. Molecular pathogenesis of oral squamous cell carcinoma: implications for therapy. J Dent Res. 2008 Jan;87(1):14-32. doi: 10.1177/154405910808700104. Erratum in: J Dent Res. 2008 Feb;87(2):191. PMID: 18096889.

  • Alotaiby FM, Fitzpatrick S, Upadhyaya J, Islam MN, Cohen D, Bhattacharyya I. Demographic, Clinical and Histopathological Features of Oral Neural Neoplasms: A Retrospective Study. Head Neck Pathol. 2019 Jun;13(2):208-214. doi: 10.1007/s12105-018-0943-1. Epub 2018 Jun 21. PMID: 29931661; PMCID: PMC6513954.

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