How does a dermatologist diagnose herpes simplex?

How does a dermatologist diagnose herpes simplex?

Herpes simplex has a very, very characteristic look with little multi, very tiny multiloculated blisters on sort of a red base that looks like a hive. The interesting thing is that because it infects a nerve when that virus is activated it will cause that lesion in the same exact place every single time. So, if you get a sore that comes out, takes a week or so to go away and then comes back at some later date in the exact same spot and again resolves after a week or so, that clinically through that history and clinical appearance it's a diagnosis. That diagnosis can be confirmed by culture, but it can be made clinically.