Cold-sore looking thing at base of thumbnail -- what is it?

Factual Questions
1

I’d say it’s the same thing as the familiar cold sores that appear on people’s lips. But I looked up “cold sore” on WebMD, and saw no mention at all of cold sores appearing on the fingers at all. Also, the sore on my thumb is not raised at all – it looks like a tiny brushburn. It does give off a little clear fluid from time to time, especially if I fool with it.

I don’t get them all that often … more often lately, though. Only on my left thumb, too – no spreading to other digits or to my mouth. It’s more of a nuisance and maybe a mild eyesore for the observant.

Anyone else get what I’m talking about? If so, what are some good treatments?

2

There are many potential causes of a vesicular rash, if indeed that is what you have. I’d get a definitive diagnosis.

3

Look up ‘herpetic whitlow’. Basically a herpes simplex viral lesion on the finger. Treated the same as any herpes lesion.

4

A wart?

5

Oh … luckily, I don’t have all those associated symptoms of all those ailments you linked to.

Another thing is that these sores only tend to last a few days. However, the one I’m looking at now is about a week old and a little bigger than the past ones.

6

Not a wart … I have one of those on my other hand :o It’s a very different thing on my left hand.

Strange thing about the sore in the OP is that it starts out looking like 2 or 3 tiny Xacto blade scratches, side by side in parallel. They look quite red and “bloody” at this stage, but they ooze very little blood.

…

USCDiver, I will look that up … thanks!

7

Just don’t look up necrotizing fasciitis. :wink:

8

Just an anecdote. IANAD, nor any medical type:

About ten years ago, for several months I was getting little. . . “blisters,” for lack of a better word. They were not raised, but I could see little tiny bubbles underneath the top layer of skin. Mostly, but not all, around the nail. Also, like a blister, after the fluids had drained, and the blister disappeared, the top layer of skin would eventually start shedding.

I went to a dermatologist who prescribed some kind of cream, but didn’t diagnose it as any specific condition. The cream seemed to work, but after just a few days of not using it, the blisters would come back.

I finally ended up diagnosing it on my own. It was an allergic reaction to a different cream that I had been applying to Tucker-babe’s acnestic areas for an undiagnosed rash that she had been having. Coincidentally, after her rash went away, my fingertips quit blistering.