MOLLUSCUM CONTAGIOSUM

Molluscum Contagiosum General Information

Molluscum Contagiosum is a viral skin infection affecting especially the children. It is easily recognized by the papules, some firm bumps. They are painless and can disappear without a treatment in some months, if they are not scratched or a few years, if they are scratched in excess, causing a spreading of the infection to other near parts of the skin. The first signs of Molluscum Contagiosum are evident painless and small (a diameter about 3 to 5 millimeters) papules that usually present a dimple in their center. The lesions appear where and how the person has scratched, particularly in line or groups (crops). After a while, they rise up and transform into flesh-colored nodules. The virus that causes Molluscum Contagiosum, a mucosal and cutaneous eruption belongs to the poxvirus family and it is called Molluscipox. It usually affects small children almost all the time when they get in contact with a lesion. In their cases, the signs are visible on the arms, neck, face, hands and armpit and they never appear on the soles and palms.

When the disease affects adults, the lesions are usually on the inner thigh, genitals and abdomen. Some early lesions that appear on the genital areas may be confused with warts and herpes and usually are not painful. The virus spreads if you get in contact with objects that are contaminated, for example toys, clothes, towels and other personal things or after an unprotected sexual contact. It can develop adverse effects (other skin infections caused by secondary bacterium). Although Molluscum Contagiosum usually affects humans, some cases of animals’ infections were reported.

Molluscum Contagiosum Symptoms

Molluscum Contagiosum Treatment

If a child presents the signs of Molluscum Contagiosum, take him immediately to a dermatologist to put the exact diagnose and to proceed as fast as possible with a treatment to avoid any complications. If you want to rid him of the papules, the health care provider will present you several ways to make the papules disappear without any signs they ever existed. But this means that the patient should try to refrain to scratch or to pick the lesions (these are the main causes which lead to scarring). The doctor will analyze the lesions and if he or she is not completely sure of the diagnosis, a biopsy of a small a skin fragment is needed to determine more exactly the underlying disorders. If the treatment is necessary or not depends on the patient, meaning the probability of the treatment to leave any signs on the skin (for example scares or pigment alteration) and the insubordination to the treatment. All the treatments follow different means to cure the lesions. Some new treatments added are immune and antiviral modulating.

The immune system plays a very important role in curing this skin disorder. Those people who have a strong and normal immunity do not need any kind of medical guidance, because their disease will resolve completely between four and twenty months. But when we are talking about small children with a poor immune system because it is not completely developed, the cure process may take much more time. Medical treatment is recommended especially for adults in order to stop the fast spreading molluscum. Some methods to get rid of the papules are: laser therapy, surgical removal, curettage, cryotherapy (traditionally named freezing) and scraping. The medication that can remove warts may be very helpful in the case of Molluscum Contagiosum. This skin disease does not cause itching, but in some cases may have adverse effects, such as eczema or dermatitis around the papules that can lead to itching. In this case are used some medications applied only to dermatitis, for example topical steroids and hydrocortisone ointments or creams. Those persons who have AIDS and thus a weak immune system or suffer of any other skin disorders may present a type of a more extensive and progressive Molluscum Contagiosum and they are advised to seek immediate medical attention. To a health persons, the lesions last few over three months if are treated properly. But this is a virus which can be easily avoided. All you have to do is not to shave over the area that is infected or touch, scratch or rub the papules. Try not to borrow (or from) anyone clothes, hairbrushes, towels and other personal things. Sexual contacts should be avoided at least after the disease is treated successfully.