Molluscum contagiosum

Abstract

Molluscum contagiosum (MC) is a viral infection disease of the skin and mucosal membranes, characterized by small, skin colored, discrete, dome-shaped, pearly papules with a central dell or depression that are usually located on the head, neck, trunk and anogenital region. The lesions are caused by the molluscum contagiosum virus, which replicates in the epidermis and enters the skin from a small skin defect leading to impaired skin barrier function or from contaminated items. Molluscum contagiosum has a worldwide distribution and commonly infects school-aged healthy children, sexually active adults and immuncomprimised patients that may persist for many months before spontaneous resolution. By the characteristic appearance of the lesions, diagnosis is usually made by clinical findings without any laboratory testing. Although molluscum contagiosum usually resolves spontaneously, there are several reasons to treat the infection, such as unattractiveness, pruritus, or its high recurrence and spreading rate. There are no FDA approved specific treatments for molluscum contagiosum infection in immunocompetent individuals yet. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.