Could HPV Cause White Spots on My Lips?

Family Medicine, Primary Care Roots Community Health Center, Hippo Education, Kameda Medical Center

Supervised by Kenji Taylor, MD

HPV can cause certain wart-like lesions in the mouth, but it is not usually the cause of plain white spots on the lips. Other conditions may be responsible for white spots, so it’s important to have any unusual changes evaluated.

Explanation

HPV is known to cause growths in the mouth that often show up as raised, sometimes soft bumps or warts on the tissues, including the lips. These bumps generally have a different appearance from simple white spots. White spots on the lips might have many causes. They can be benign conditions like Fordyce spots (small, harmless spots caused by oil glands), irritation, or other non-HPV-related issues. The medical literature notes that HPV infections are more likely to lead to papillary or verrucous lesions rather than flat white patches. Because there are many possible reasons for changes on your lips, it is a good idea to have a healthcare provider look at them. A careful examination will help determine whether the changes are related to HPV or another condition. Knowing the cause will help guide what, if any, treatment might be needed.

(References)

Syrjänen S. Oral manifestations of human papillomavirus infections. Eur J Oral Sci. 2018 Oct;126 Suppl 1(Suppl Suppl 1):49-66. doi: 10.1111/eos.12538. PMID: 30178562; PMCID: PMC6174935.
Jamieson LM, Antonsson A, Garvey G, et al. Prevalence of Oral Human Papillomavirus Infection Among Australian Indigenous Adults. _JAMA Netw Open._ 2020;3(6):e204951. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.4951
Haghshenas MR, Moosazadeh M, Taghiloo S, Sattari S, Valadan R, Mousavi T. Association between Human Papillomavirus and Oral Cancer in Iranian Clinical Samples: A Meta-Analysis Review. Iran J Public Health. 2022 Dec;51(12):2688-2696. doi: 10.18502/ijph.v51i12.11459. PMID: 36742241; PMCID: PMC9874207.

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