Disease: Molluscum Contagiosum

    Molluscum contagiosum facts

    • A viral infection of the skin causes molluscum contagiosum, a mild skin disease.
    • Risk factors include direct and indirect contact with an infected person's skin.
    • Symptoms include painless pinkish raised nodules on the skin.
    • A doctor's physical exam presumptively diagnoses most molluscum contagiosum infections; tissue biopsy offers a definitive diagnosis.
    • Molluscum contagiosum often requires no treatment as nodules resolve in about six to 12 months; however, cryotherapy (freezing), curettage (cutting out the lesions), laser therapy, or chemical treatments also may treat the nodules.
    • There are many home treatments available, but people should check with their doctor before using these treatments.
    • The prognosis of most molluscum contagiosum infections is excellent, but people with immune compromise have a more guarded prognosis.
    • There is no commercially available vaccine for molluscum contagiosum infections, but people can reduce their chances of getting the disease by avoiding direct and indirect skin contact with infected people.

    What is molluscum contagiosum?

    Molluscum contagiosum is a mild skin disease caused by a virus that causes painless small bumps on the skin. The disease occurs worldwide but is more prevalent in warm, humid climates. The disease is usually not serious and in most people resolves in about six to 12 months without treatment. It is a common infection in children; direct person-to-person contact, sexual contact, and contaminated items like clothing, towels, or other objects may transmit the infection. Some consider it to be a sexually transmitted disease (STD), but many others simply consider it to be a skin disease that is contagious by any skin-to-skin and indirect incidental contact with the infecting virus.

    Is molluscum contagiosum contagious?

    With part of its name being contagiosum, you can be sure it is contagious. The virus is transmitted by skin-to-skin contact and by indirect contact (for example, towels touched by an infected person may allow the virus to pass from the towel to another person's skin.

    What is the incubation period for molluscum contagiosum?

    The average time from exposure to symptoms (incubation period) is about two to seven weeks and may be as long as six months in some individuals.

    How long does the infection with molluscum contagiosum last? When does a person become noncontagious?

    The skin lesions last about six to 12 months although some individuals have had lesions last up to four years. Once the lesions spontaneously resolve, the person is not contagious.

    What causes molluscum contagiosum?

    The cause is a virus, a member of the poxvirus family. The virus only survives in the skin, and when the lesions are gone, the person no longer is contagious.

    What are risk factors for molluscum contagiosum?

    The highest risk factor is when an uninfected person touches a skin lesion on an infected person's skin or contacts an item such as a towel that was recently used by an infected person. People with weakened immune systems are at risk for getting the infection and having it rapidly spread with larger lesions. Other people at high risk are wrestlers, swimmers, gymnasts, and people who use steam baths and saunas. It's also possible to transmit the infection sexually. It is theoretically possible to become in contact and be infected with the virus from a toilet seat, but this has not been documented.

    What are molluscum contagiosum symptoms and signs?

    The first signs and symptoms of molluscum contagiosum are small painless papules (raised bumps) on the skin. It often appears as a raised, a pearly pinkish nodule; some nodules contain a dimple in the center. Most lesions are small, about 2-5 mm in diameter. Inside the nodule, sometimes there is a cheesy whitish core. The lesions may become itchy, sore, and reddened if scratched. The lesions can appear anywhere on the body (face, mouth, penis, or vagina, for example). The skin lesions may go through three stages; the first is a small whitish and/or reddish bump on the skin. Over a few weeks, the bumps can enlarge to about 2-5 mm with a whitish pus head that develops into a small crater when it bursts (stage 2; patients are advised not to attempt "popping" these pus-containing bumps or pimples). Stage 3 is when the burst craters develop into reddish sores that can be infected with other organisms (secondary infections).

    How do physicians diagnose molluscum contagiosum?

    Presumptive diagnosis is based on the person's history and physical exam. A skin biopsy that shows the viral infection is a definitive diagnosis usually made by a pathologist. This definitive diagnosis is sometimes helpful to distinguish molluscum contagiosum from other skin problems like herpes, genital warts (HPV), hives, or folliculitis.

    What is the treatment for molluscum contagiosum?

    For most patients, no treatment is needed because the lesions spontaneously disappear in about six to 12 months, although for a few, it may take up to four years. Discuss any treatment method with a doctor. Cryotherapy (freezing), curettage (cutting out the lesions), and laser therapy also may remove lesions. In addition, creams that include podophyllin, salicylic acid, tretinoin (Retin A, Atralin, Renova, Avita, Altinac), and cantharidin may remove lesions. Physicians may use cimetidine (Tagamet) to treat molluscum contagiosum in small children. A new medication, imiquimod (Aldara), helps to strengthen the skin's immune response and may help to get rid of the lesions in some people. Topical desonide cream (a low-dose corticosteroid) reduces any symptoms that may accompany scratching the nodules.

    Learn more about: Atralin | Renova | Avita | Tagamet | Aldara

    Are there any home remedies for molluscum contagiosum?

    There are a wide range of home remedies available for this disease. People have tried remedies such as apple cider vinegar, tea tree oil, alcohol, and elderberry extract. Some are easily available at pharmacies (for example, ZymaDerm). Duct tape occlusion treatment has been suggested by some clinicians. Patients should discuss the situation their doctor before trying these remedies.

    What is the prognosis of molluscum contagiosum?

    Most people who get molluscum contagiosum have an excellent prognosis because the infection is usually self-limiting; it typically affects only the skin and resolves without treatment over about six to 12 months in most people. However, immunosuppressed people have a more guarded prognosis as the disease may persist for years and become widespread on the skin; some people may get secondary bacterial skin infections; the major complication of the disease. Some treatments listed above (cryotherapy, curettage, laser, and some chemical treatments) may leave small scars. Even if you get the disease and are cured, you can be reinfected and get the disease again.

    Is molluscum contagiosum contagious?

    With part of its name being contagiosum, you can be sure it is contagious. The virus is transmitted by skin-to-skin contact and by indirect contact (for example, towels touched by an infected person may allow the virus to pass from the towel to another person's skin.

    What is the incubation period for molluscum contagiosum?

    The average time from exposure to symptoms (incubation period) is about two to seven weeks and may be as long as six months in some individuals.

    How long does the infection with molluscum contagiosum last? When does a person become noncontagious?

    The skin lesions last about six to 12 months although some individuals have had lesions last up to four years. Once the lesions spontaneously resolve, the person is not contagious.

    What causes molluscum contagiosum?

    The cause is a virus, a member of the poxvirus family. The virus only survives in the skin, and when the lesions are gone, the person no longer is contagious.

    What are risk factors for molluscum contagiosum?

    The highest risk factor is when an uninfected person touches a skin lesion on an infected person's skin or contacts an item such as a towel that was recently used by an infected person. People with weakened immune systems are at risk for getting the infection and having it rapidly spread with larger lesions. Other people at high risk are wrestlers, swimmers, gymnasts, and people who use steam baths and saunas. It's also possible to transmit the infection sexually. It is theoretically possible to become in contact and be infected with the virus from a toilet seat, but this has not been documented.

    What are molluscum contagiosum symptoms and signs?

    The first signs and symptoms of molluscum contagiosum are small painless papules (raised bumps) on the skin. It often appears as a raised, a pearly pinkish nodule; some nodules contain a dimple in the center. Most lesions are small, about 2-5 mm in diameter. Inside the nodule, sometimes there is a cheesy whitish core. The lesions may become itchy, sore, and reddened if scratched. The lesions can appear anywhere on the body (face, mouth, penis, or vagina, for example). The skin lesions may go through three stages; the first is a small whitish and/or reddish bump on the skin. Over a few weeks, the bumps can enlarge to about 2-5 mm with a whitish pus head that develops into a small crater when it bursts (stage 2; patients are advised not to attempt "popping" these pus-containing bumps or pimples). Stage 3 is when the burst craters develop into reddish sores that can be infected with other organisms (secondary infections).

    How do physicians diagnose molluscum contagiosum?

    Presumptive diagnosis is based on the person's history and physical exam. A skin biopsy that shows the viral infection is a definitive diagnosis usually made by a pathologist. This definitive diagnosis is sometimes helpful to distinguish molluscum contagiosum from other skin problems like herpes, genital warts (HPV), hives, or folliculitis.

    What is the treatment for molluscum contagiosum?

    For most patients, no treatment is needed because the lesions spontaneously disappear in about six to 12 months, although for a few, it may take up to four years. Discuss any treatment method with a doctor. Cryotherapy (freezing), curettage (cutting out the lesions), and laser therapy also may remove lesions. In addition, creams that include podophyllin, salicylic acid, tretinoin (Retin A, Atralin, Renova, Avita, Altinac), and cantharidin may remove lesions. Physicians may use cimetidine (Tagamet) to treat molluscum contagiosum in small children. A new medication, imiquimod (Aldara), helps to strengthen the skin's immune response and may help to get rid of the lesions in some people. Topical desonide cream (a low-dose corticosteroid) reduces any symptoms that may accompany scratching the nodules.

    Learn more about: Atralin | Renova | Avita | Tagamet | Aldara

    Are there any home remedies for molluscum contagiosum?

    There are a wide range of home remedies available for this disease. People have tried remedies such as apple cider vinegar, tea tree oil, alcohol, and elderberry extract. Some are easily available at pharmacies (for example, ZymaDerm). Duct tape occlusion treatment has been suggested by some clinicians. Patients should discuss the situation their doctor before trying these remedies.

    What is the prognosis of molluscum contagiosum?

    Most people who get molluscum contagiosum have an excellent prognosis because the infection is usually self-limiting; it typically affects only the skin and resolves without treatment over about six to 12 months in most people. However, immunosuppressed people have a more guarded prognosis as the disease may persist for years and become widespread on the skin; some people may get secondary bacterial skin infections; the major complication of the disease. Some treatments listed above (cryotherapy, curettage, laser, and some chemical treatments) may leave small scars. Even if you get the disease and are cured, you can be reinfected and get the disease again.

    Source: http://www.rxlist.com

    With part of its name being contagiosum, you can be sure it is contagious. The virus is transmitted by skin-to-skin contact and by indirect contact (for example, towels touched by an infected person may allow the virus to pass from the towel to another person's skin.

    Source: http://www.rxlist.com

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