MOLLUSCUM CONTAGIOSUM

Overview and Facts

Molluscum contagiosum is a very common viral skin infection that causes round, firm, painless lumps the size of a pinhead to a pencil eraser. The infection may spread to adjacent skin if the pimples are scraped or damaged. It may be transmitted by direct contact with sick people or contaminated items.

Moreover, molluscum contagiosum is a genital infection spread via sexual contact. The lumps typically go away on their own after a year, although doctor-assisted removal is also a possibility. Molluscums are prevalent in youngsters, particularly individuals with weakened immune systems. It’s considered a sexually transmitted infection in people with otherwise healthy immune systems.

Types and Symptoms

SYMPTOMS

Molluscum contagiosum may be seen on the children’s face, trunks, and limbs, as well as adults’ genitals, abdomens, and inner thighs. Typically, the disease produces bumps that:

  • Are itchy but not painful.
  • Are small and have a dimple in the middle.
  • Are flesh-colored, thick, and dome-shaped.
  • Becomes drained or red gradually.

If you have a strong immune system, molluscum contagiosum will generally go away on its own in a few months to years. However, it may cause extensive, persistent sores if you have AIDS or other immune-related diseases. 

Diagnosis & Medications

DIAGNOSIS

Your doctor may do a physical examination and ask about your symptoms and medical history in order to identify molluscum contagiosum. The appearance of the papule helps to diagnose molluscum contagiosum. 

However, if your doctor is uncertain, a skin biopsy may help. They’ll take a sample of skin to examine more carefully. They may also check for other health issues if they suspect you have them.

TREATMENT

This viral skin infection typically clears up on its own in six to twelve months. However, bumps may continue to grow for up to five years. You’re no longer infectious after all of your bumps have disappeared.

Because the lesions are infectious, doctors may advise that they be removed before they vanish on their own, especially in adults. Molluscum contagiosum treatments may be unpleasant, therefore an anesthetic may be given prior to alleviating discomfort. A mix of therapies is sometimes utilized.

Among the options are:

  • Freezing Scraping (cryotherapy)
  • Cantharidin is a medication that produces blisters, which pull off the bumps.

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