Infectious mollusk – symptoms, diagnosis, treatment

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Contagious mollusk is a serious-sounding name under which an infectious, troublesome, but not life-threatening skin disease is hidden. The factor influencing the infection with this disease is a virus from the Poxviridae family. Specialists distinguish two types of this virus, MCV-1 and MCV-2. Most infections are caused by the first type of virus.

Contagious mollusk – what is this disease?

The contagious mollusk is found all over the world. Usually children up to 5 years old and adults 15-29 years old are sick. In adults, infection is often transmitted sexually. It can be associated with other sexually transmitted diseases, especially in people who have multiple sexual partners. But you can also get infected through contact with infected objects, e.g. toys or a towel. You can catch the disease in a swimming pool, in a sports hall, during a massage.

The infectious agent is a virus of the Poxviridae family. Specialists distinguish two types of this virus, MCV-1 and MCV-2. Most infections are caused by the first type of virus.

The molluscum virus is very common in people suffering from atopic dermatitis and people with reduced immunity, e.g. after severe diseases, taking immunosuppressants, cancer or sarcoidosis.

Infectious mollusk – first symptoms

Despite the fact that the mollusk is very contagious, the first symptoms appear at the earliest two weeks, and sometimes even six months after contact with an infected person or objects they used.

Hardish, translucent papules (3-5 mm) or larger nodules (more than 1,5 cm) appear on the skin. They are clearly demarcated from the rest of the skin, they can be pearly, grayish, flesh-colored and sometimes yellow in color. It is characteristic that there is a distinct indentation in the center of the tubercle.

The nodules may appear singly or in multiple clusters. Sometimes their number is so large that they merge and cover a large area of ​​the skin. In people with reduced immunity, such nodules may be up to several hundred.

In people infected with molluscum contagiosum in the sexual way, characteristic changes occur – in men on the skin of the penis, and in women on the pubic mound, the inner surface of the thighs, on the labia majora, in the buttock crease and in the groin. Disease eruptions rarely attack the mucosa of the genital organs. In children, the lesions usually appear on the face, limbs and chest. In fact, they can occur anywhere, but are rarely seen on the hands and feet. If a mollusk lump develops on the eyelid, it may cause conjunctivitis or keratitis.

Diagnosis of molluscum contagiosum

As already mentioned, the skin lesions that occur with molluscum contagiosum are very characteristic because of the appearance of the nodules. The inside of the nodule is filled with atheroma (cheesy), which leaks out after a puncture or accidental skin injury. This is usually sufficient for an experienced physician to make a diagnosis. Sometimes, however, to be sure of the diagnosis, he or she orders a lump biopsy and a histological examination of the collected material. Usually, eosinophilic inclusion bodies and mollusks are present.

Contagious mollusk – treatment

In fact, it is possible not to treat such changes, because it is known that they resolve spontaneously over time, although it usually takes several months. However, because the infection is spread easily to other people and other parts of the skin, the nodules are removed by a variety of methods.

cryotherapy — that is, freezing is performed when the lesions occupy a significant area of ​​the skin (they are merged). The treatment must be repeated 2-3 times to eliminate the infection one hundred percent. It happens that after treatment, scars remain on the skin.

If the lesions are on or in the genital area, the nodules are removed through excision or curettage. Sometimes it does electrocoagulation or laser therapy. All procedures are performed under local anesthesia.

It is possible to use it in patients with small molluscum erosions pharmacotherapy. It consists in lubricating the lesions with an irritating agent in order to provoke an inflammatory reaction and thus heal the lesions. When there are only a few nodules on the skin, they are usually punctured and squeezed out from the inside with a gritty content. After cleaning the nodule, the skin is smeared with iodine tincture, silver nitrate, phenol solution or podophyllin.

If you get a bacterial infection, which happens in children and people who cannot control scratching their lesions, it will be necessary to administration of an antibiotic. If the lesions are accompanied by nagging itching, the skin around the lesions is lubricated ointments containing steroids. The lesions themselves should not be covered with ointment, as it delays the healing process.

As with all infectious diseases, all those who have contact with molluscum contagiosum should be monitored and treated. It is worth being vigilant for many months after one of the family members becomes ill, because – as it was mentioned at the beginning – the contagious mollusk can hatch for up to several months.

Text: Anna Jarosz

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