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The small "cold sore" seen here on the buccal mucosa just inside the lower lip is the result of herpes simplex virus type 1 infection. Most adults have had HSV1 infection, but it remains latent, only to produce this small sore during periods of stress, from local trauma, or environmental changes.
A similar lesion is the aphthous ulcer, or "canker sore" that can appear under conditions of stress, local trauma, or hormonal changes. About 5 to 25% of the population have had such lesions, particularly during the second decade of life.
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