Molluscum Contagiosum
Molluscum Contagiosum
Molluscum is a common viral skin infection that causes small, harmless, raised spots to appear on the skin.
Molluscum spots may stay on the body for a few weeks, several months, or more than a year.
Cause
It is caused by the DNA Poxvirus
Spread
The molluscum virus is found in warm water, so children are often infected in swimming pools and baths. Sharing towels and face washers is another way to spread the virus. Molluscum can also be spread from skin-to-skin contact involving the molluscum spots.
Clinical features
If squeezed papules release a cheesy material
Lesions are multiple and grouped—usually on the trunk, face, or neck
Diagnosis
Clinical
Management
No treatment is generally necessary
Untreated lesions resolve spontaneously after 12–18 months
In the older child, and causing discomfort, the following methods can be done
Removal by expressing the contents with forceps
Curettage
Cryotherapy