Molluscum contagiosum

Molluscum contagiosum is a common infection in children and young adults and is usually acquired through direct skin-to-skin contact. Diagnosis is clinical in the majority of cases.

Lesions appear as umbilicated, pearl-like, smooth papules. At least one third of patients will develop symptoms of local erythema, swelling, or pruritus.

Immunocompromise and underlying skin disease, particularly atopic dermatitis, increase the risk of molluscum infection.

Anogenital molluscum should prompt a full sexual health screen.

Most molluscum contagiosum infections require no treatment and resolve spontaneously.

This condition is caused by the molluscum contagiosum virus, a ubiquitous poxvirus that escapes immune destruction for months to years. Lesions are cutaneous (less commonly mucosal). They appear as pearl-like, smooth papules, which are umbilicated. Molluscum lesions display characteristic intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies (referred to as molluscum bodies or Henderson-Patterson bodies) on histology. Lesions are generally caused via skin-to-skin or fomite contact in children, and often by sexual transmission in adults.[1]Silverberg NB. Warts and molluscum in children. Adv Dermatol. 2004;20:23-73. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15544196?tool=bestpractice.com [Figure caption and citation for the preceding image starts]: Extensive molluscum lesions on the flank of a young child; lesions are flesh to pearly coloured with central dellsFrom the collection of Dr Nanette Silverberg [Citation ends].