Molluscum contagiosum
Treatment Duration
30
Suggested Sessions
2-3 times/year
Despite the confusion caused by its difficult to understand scientific name, molluscum contagiosum is a harmless, generally benign mild skin condition that affects adults as well as children.
What is Molluscum Contagiosum?
Molluscum contagiosum is a sexually transmitted disease for adults, while it occurs very often in children.
Molluscum contagiosum is a viral skin infection, and the virus that causes it, molluscum contagiosum virus (MCV), belongs to the smallpox virus family.
Molluscum contagiosum is characterized by small skin growths on the skin that look like lumps, olives or pimples, which are also called water warts.
The typical molluscum contagiosum lesion is round in shape, skin-colored, pale pink or dark brown, and ranging in size from the head of a pin to the eraser at the top of a pencil.
Molluscum contagiosum is a benign skin disease and does not develop into malignancy.
«Damages caused to the molluscum contagiosum must be removed immediately as without them, it cannot be transmitted»
Who does Molluscum Contagiosum concern?
Molluscum contagiosum can be transmitted to anyone, regardless of age and gender. However, it seems that there are some population groups that are more likely to be "stuck" such as:
- Sexually active people.
- Athletes with hand-to-hand contact or sharing sports equipment.
- People who live in humid, hot areas and come into contact with other people.
- Children 1 to 10 years old, especially when dealing with eczema.
- People with a weakened immune system that cannot fight infections.
- Atopic dermatitis is also a factor responsible for the spread of symptoms due to the "cracks" it causes in the skin.
How does Molluscum Contagiosum spread?
Ringworm is a viral contagious skin infection caused by the molluscum contagiosum virus.
Molluscum contagiosum can be easily transmitted through direct skin-to-skin contact, including sexual contact, but also through indirect contact, i.e. by sharing objects such as:
- the razor
- the underwear
- the towels
- the sex toys
- tattoo equipment
In adults, molluscum contagiosum is usually transmitted through sexual contact.
You can also "transfer" the virus to different parts of your body with the intraocular method.
That is:
- Touching or scratching the skin lesions on your skin and then touching another area on the body.
- Shaving an area with skin lesions and using the same razor to shave an area that is clean.
- Doing electrolysis on the skin in areas with and without symptoms.
When the virus spreads, you won't see symptoms right away. Lumps usually appear 2 to 6 weeks later.
«Unlike other viruses, molluscum contagiosum disappears when the lesions disappear and is no longer transmitted»
Main Appearance Body Spots
Molluscum contagiosum infection can appear anywhere on the skin, including the genital and anus area. Common signs are:
- The genitals
- The perianal area
- The neck
- The armpits
- Low on the belly
- The inner part of the thighs
- The buttocks
Rarely, molluscum contagiosum is found on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.
Ocular lesions are mainly located on the eyelids, while they have also been located on the conjunctiva.
The number of skin lesions varies from one to dozens, usually no more than 20 to 30, while they are often grouped.
The number of skin lesions ranges from one to dozens, while many times they are grouped.
«If you are diagnosed with molluscum contagiosum, avoid sexual intercourse until the doctor allows it»
Diagnosis
If you suspect that you have a molluscum contagiosum, you should consult a dermatologist, who will confirm whether it is a specific skin condition.
Usually a physical examination and medical history are enough to diagnose molluscum contagiosum.
If there is any doubt, the doctor may also scrape the skin and examine a sample under the microscope.
Many times patients confuse the molluscum contagiosum with warts, herpes, moles, staph or pimples on the genitals.
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«Molluscum contagiosum can go away on its own in some cases, but it is best to remove it as soon as it is detected so that it does not spread to other parts of the body»
Molluscum Contagiosum Treatment
Molluscum contagiosum is treated with individualized treatment for each patient depending on their age, overall health status, size, severity, location and extent of skin lesions.
When the skin lesions are located on the genitals, a visit to the dermatologist-venereologist is necessary, as there is a possibility that there is another disease that is transmitted through sexual contact.
The doctor will evaluate each case and will follow the ideal therapeutic treatment.
Molluscum contagiosum is treated depending on the case, with the following methods:
- Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen.
- Sublimation with a CO2 laser, with which the lesions are removed with absolute precision without affecting the healthy tissue.
- Medicinal treatment with special creams.
- Surgical excision with the SHAVE method, which is usually applied to larger skin lesions.
After the completion of the treatment, a doctor will recommend follow-up to deal with any recurrences.
«Do not try to remove the lesions or the fluid inside yourself, as you may spread the infection to different parts of your body, as well as contaminate the area, causing a bacterial infection»
Self-limiting Infection
Molluscum contagiosum is considered a self-limiting infection. The skin growths it causes in some cases disappear within 6 to 12 months. However, it can take up to 4 years for them to subside. During this period other symptoms may disappear and others may return, while as long as there are skin lesions the virus is considered to be transmitted.
Reinfection
The fact that you have recovered from the infectious terminus does not mean that you have acquired immunity. You may become infected again. We should note, however, that the terminthos infection is not one of the viruses that remain dormant in the body after treatment until they "wake up" again, like the herpes virus, for example. If you were cured and you show symptoms again, it means you have a new infection from some object.
Molluscum Contagiosum Complications
Complications that occur during infection with an molluscum contagiosum such as inflammation, irritation, conjunctivitis (in the eyes), abscess, will subside without leaving marks or scars.
A more common complication is secondary infection caused by bacteria, which can become a significant problem in immunocompromised patients, such as people with AIDS or patients receiving immunosuppressive drug therapies.
Prevention
Observing the rules of hygiene is the best way to avoid the transmission of the molluscum contagiosum. Note that the virus only survives on the skin and is not spread after it is gone.
The first and foremost rule to avoid transmission is to not scratch or scratch the skin, yours or anyone else's, with molluscum contagiosum skin growths, because you will facilitate transmission both to your own body and to others .
The next most important rule is to keep the area clean and covered in order to protect others from spreading the virus.
In addition, you should avoid sharing items such as towels, glasses, swimwear, and in sports such as wrestling and basketball, contaminated areas should be covered to avoid transmission.
In general, you should be careful in sports activities.
Also, you should not share personal items such as clothes, hairbrushes, watches, soaps, sponges, make-up items with other people.
Also, you should not share personal items such as clothes, hairbrushes, watches, soaps, sponges, make-up items with other people.
In the event that lesions appeared on the genitals, on or near the penis, vulva, vagina or anus, you should avoid sexual activity until you see your dermatologist.
Molluscum Contagiosum & Epidemiological Profile
Molluscum contagiosum is a benign skin infection that occurs with great frequency. It is estimated that 8,000 out of 100,000 people develop the disease each year. Among children, boys and girls appear to be affected equally, while in adulthood males appear to be more affected. The skin infection occurs all over the world, but seems to "prefer" hot and humid climates with crowded living conditions.
Frequent Questions
Is the molluscum contagiosum dangerous? What if I don't treat her injuries?
Molluscum contagiosum is not a dangerous disease, nor is it associated with any form of malignancy. The damage it causes in some cases may go away on its own. If this does not happen, however, they can spread and the chain of transmission continues. For this reason, the treatment of damage is considered necessary for preventive reasons.
I was recently diagnosed with molluscum contagiosum. Could I have passed it on to my recent partners?
If you had sexual intercourse, after the appearance of the lesions on your body, then it would be good to inform your partners so that they are aware of any appearance of lesions on their body and of course for the examination by a Dermatologist - Venereologist.
Does the condom protect me from molluscum contagiosum?
Condoms (male and female) do not fully protect against transmission, since the molluscum contagiosum can be found in places not covered by it. In any case, however, its correct use reduces the chances of transmitting or contracting molluscum contagiosum and other sexually transmitted diseases.
Can I catch molluscum contagiosum by coughing?
The virus that causes ringworm stays in the upper layers of the skin, never entering the body, so you don't catch it by coughing or sneezing.
Is molluscum contagiosum hereditary?
No, despite the fact that it is contagious, molluscum contagiosum is not an inherited condition.
Could I try treatments advertised and sold online?
Absolutely not! In addition to not being effective, they can be considered harmful.
What happens if I don't treat molluscum contagiosum?
Each organism is different, therefore the disease can develop differently in each one. Lesions caused by the molluscum contagiosum may, in some cases, go away on their own. But there is the case that this does not happen and the damage spreads to other parts of the body or to other people with whom the patient has close contacts and uses common objects. Therefore, the treatment of damage is deemed necessary for preventive reasons.