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Medical
Dermatology - Molluscum
Contagiosum
A common skin disease,
molluscum contagiosum is caused
by a poxvirus that infects only
the skin. This virus enters the
skin through small breaks in
the skin barrier. After an
incubation period, growths
appear. These growths can
develop anywhere on the skin.
Like warts, which are caused by
a different virus, molluscum
contagiosum is considered
benign. Molluscum contagiosum
does not affect any internal
organs and rarely causes
symptoms. As the name implies,
molluscum contagiosum is
contagious.
While molluscum contagiosum
will eventually go away on its
own without leaving a scar,
many dermatologists advise
treating. Treatment can prevent
the growths from spreading to
other areas of a patient's body
and to other people. Before
treatment begins, a
dermatologist may confirm that
the growths are mollusca by
scraping an area of infected
skin and looking at the cells
under a microscope. If
molluscum contagiosum is
present, there are a number of
treatment options.
Treatment for mollusca is
similar to that for warts.
Growths can be frozen with
liquid nitrogen, destroyed with
various acids or blistering
solutions, or treated with an
electric needle (electrocautery)
and scraped off with a sharp
instrument (curette). Laser
therapy also has been effective
in treating mollusca. All of
these treatments can be
performed in a dermatologist's
office. If there are many
growths, treatment sessions may
be needed every 3 to 6 weeks
until the growths disappear.
Some discomfort is associated
with these treatments.
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