Molluscum contagiosum is a disease seen on the skin or, very rarely, on mucous membranes such as the inside of the mouth or the vagina, which can in particular be transmitted sexually.
Molluscum contagiosum is common and usually affects babies and young children. Adults can also be affected, but this is not common.
It appears as small clusters of papules, especially in warm, moist places such as the armpits, groin or the backs of the knees. They range in size from 1 to 6 mm and may be white, pink or brown. They usually have a waxy, pinkish appearance with a central dimple (umbilication). On examination they may be inflamed, scaly or crusted. A person may have just a few or even several hundred.
The disease is harmless, but it can last for months or sometimes several years. Rarely, it may leave small pit-like (firm) scars.
Molluscum contagiosum is usually passed from person to person through direct skin contact among children. In adults, sexual contact is one of the ways the infection spreads. Spread occurs more often in wet conditions such as shared showers (for example after sport and swimming).
What causes molluscum contagiosum?
The cause of molluscum contagiosum is a DNA virus of the poxvirus group.
There are four types of molluscum contagiosum virus (MCV): MCV-1, MCV-2, MCV-3 and MCV-4.
MCV-1 is the most common type, while MCV-4 is the type usually seen in adults and transmitted sexually. It causes small benign bumps on the skin. It is a contagious disease and is located only in the superficial layers of the skin. The bumps appear about 1–3 months after the infection is transmitted. It is usually transmitted through sexual contact or close skin contact.
It can be transmitted vertically from mother to foetus. In children the lesions are common on the face and trunk, and in children with atopic eczema they tend to be more numerous and more persistent.
What are the symptoms of molluscum contagiosum?
Molluscum contagiosum is a rash-producing disease with flesh-coloured, dome-shaped lesions 1–5 mm in size with a central dimple, arranged like pearls, seen especially in the genital area and on the hands and feet. These lesions are usually painless and may sometimes become itchy.
Molluscum contagiosum lesions can be picked up under the nails through scratching and carried to other areas of the skin. The lesions of molluscum (known in Turkish as "umbilicated wart") can sometimes bleed spontaneously or when scratched. Sometimes the lesions leave marks on the skin as they clear.
In one in every 10 cases, "eczema" may develop around the lesions, and bacterial infections can sometimes develop in this eczema.
Molluscum contagiosum, which can appear on different parts of the body, can also lead to psychological effects, social problems and embarrassment because of the fear of passing it on to others.
How is molluscum contagiosum diagnosed?
Molluscum contagiosum is most often recognised by observation during a gynaecological or dermatological examination. As a definitive diagnostic method, pathological evaluation after removal of a lesion (biopsy) may be requested.
Why should molluscum contagiosum be treated?
Molluscum contagiosum infection can sometimes disappear on its own within 6–8 weeks, or sometimes within 2–3 months. However, it can sometimes persist for anywhere from 6 months to 5 years without clearing. For this reason, it is beneficial to start active treatment when molluscum contagiosum infection is seen.
Molluscum contagiosum spreading in the genital area in particular must be treated so that it is not passed on sexually to other people.