What Could a Red Bump on My Lip Be If It's Not a Cold Sore?

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

Supervised by Kenji Taylor, MD

A red bump on your lip that isn’t a cold sore might be a harmless growth like a cherry angioma, a mucocele, an acne lesion, or even a Fordyce spot that has become slightly irritated.

Explanation

There are a few reasons you might see a red bump on your lip if it isn’t a cold sore. One possibility is a cherry angioma—a small, bright red spot made up of tiny blood vessels. These are common and not harmful. Another possibility is a mucocele, which happens when saliva leaks from a small gland in your lip due to minor injury or biting; these bumps can look red or even bluish. Sometimes, an acne lesion can occur on the lip due to blocked pores or irritation, forming a small red bump that looks much like a pimple. Additionally, Fordyce spots are normal small bumps found on the lips, and while they are usually yellowish or white, they can sometimes look red if they are a bit irritated. In most cases, these red bumps are benign and go away on their own. However, keep an eye on the bump, and if it changes in size, color, or becomes painful, it is a good idea to have a doctor check it out to make sure everything is okay.

(References)

Winston MH, Shalita AR. Acne vulgaris. Pathogenesis and treatment. Pediatr Clin North Am. 1991 Aug;38(4):889-903. doi: 10.1016/s0031-3955(16)38158-5. PMID: 1831256.
Lee JH, Lee JH, Kwon NH, Yu DS, Kim GM, Park CJ, Lee JD, Kim SY. Clinicopathologic Manifestations of Patients with Fordyce's Spots. Ann Dermatol. 2012 Feb;24(1):103-6. doi: 10.5021/ad.2012.24.1.103. Epub 2012 Feb 2. PMID: 22363169; PMCID: PMC3283840.
More CB, Bhavsar K, Varma S, Tailor M. Oral mucocele: A clinical and histopathological study. J Oral Maxillofac Pathol. 2014 Sep;18(Suppl 1):S72-7. doi: 10.4103/0973-029X.141370. PMID: 25364184; PMCID: PMC4211243.
Fernandez-Flores A, Colmenero I. Campbell de Morgan Spots (Cherry Angiomas) Show Endothelial Proliferation. Am J Dermatopathol. 2018 Dec;40(12):894-898. doi: 10.1097/DAD.0000000000001216. PMID: 30024413.
Maymone MBC, Greer RO, Burdine LK, Dao-Cheng A, Venkatesh S, Sahitya PC, Maymone AC, Kesecker J, Vashi NA. Benign oral mucosal lesions: Clinical and pathological findings. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2019 Jul;81(1):43-56. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2018.09.061. Epub 2018 Nov 14. PMID: 30447312.

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