Molluscum contagiosum.Molluscum contagiosum is a virus-induced epithelial hyperplasia produced by a DNA poxvirus poxvirus Any of a group of viruses responsible for a wide range of pox diseases in humans and other animals. Poxvirus was the cause of smallpox. (Human chickenpox is caused by varicella-zoster virus. . This common disease can be found on the skin and mucosal surfaces. It is acquired by direct contact with an infected individual or, less commonly, by contact with a fomite fomite /fo·mite/ (fo´mit) fomes. fo·mite n. An inanimate object or substance, such as clothing, furniture, or soap, that is capable of transmitting infectious organisms from one individual to (e.g., clothing, towels, and toys); autoinoculation autoinoculation /au·to·in·oc·u·la·tion/ (-in-ok?u-la´shun) inoculation with microorganisms from one's own body. au·to·in·oc·u·la·tion n. is common. Molluscum contagiosum is usually seen in children and young adults; immunocompromised persons are especially vulnerable to infection. Lesions predominantly arise on the skin of the face, neck, eyelids, trunk, and genitalia, as well as on the mucous membranes of these areas (as applicable). The incubation period averages between 2 and 7 weeks, although it can be much longer. In most cases, the clinical appearance of molluscum contagiosum is diagnostic. Lesions appear as pink, smooth-surfaced, sessile, nontender papules Papules Firm bumps on the skin. Mentioned in: Smallpox that measure 2 to 6 mm in diameter. The central depression or umbilication umbilication /um·bil·i·ca·tion/ (um-bil?i-ka´shun) a depression resembling the umbilicus. um·bil·i·ca·tion n. 1. A pit or navellike depression. 2. has a white, waxy, curd-like core. Histologically, molluscum contagiosum exhibits a lobular proliferation of surface epithelium (figure 1); an aggregation of enlarged keratinocytes that are engorged with viral inclusions (molluscum molluscum /mol·lus·cum/ (mo-lus´kum) 1. any of various skin diseases marked by the formation of soft rounded cutaneous tumors. 2. m. contagiosum. bodies) can be seen in the center of the lesion (figure 2). Molluscumbodies have a homogenous, groundglass, eosinophilic eosinophilic /eo·sin·o·phil·ic/ (-fil´ik) 1. readily stainable with eosin. 2. pertaining to eosinophils. 3. pertaining to or characterized by eosinophilia. appearance. [FIGURE 1-2 OMITTED] Although the clinical appearance is characteristic, molluscum contagiosum must be differentiated from verruca vulgaris (wart), herpes simplex, epidermal inclusion cysts, and tumors of the skin. Molluscum contagiosum is a self-limiting disease, although many patients ask for treatment. Curettage and cryosurgery are the most common means of treatment. There is also a variety of topical treatments that are employed, some with greater success than others. Suggested reading Hanson D, Diven DG. Molluscum contagiosum. Dermatol Online J 2003;9:2. Whitaker SB, Wiegand SE, Budnick SD. Intraoral molluscum contagiosum. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol 1991;72:334-6. From the Department of Pathology, Woodland Hills Medical Center, Southern California Kaiser Permanente Group, Woodland Hills, Calif. |
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