Molluscum Contagiosum
What is Molluscum Contagiosum and how do I treat it?
Molluscum Contagiosum (MC) is a very common skin condition that affect many people. It is a viral infection similar to warts - but caused by a different virus. MC is caused by a pox virus (not chicken pox!) called the Molluscum Contagiosum Virus (MCV). Its name says it all: MC are contagious. They can spread from contact with the skin or objects containing the MCV virus. As long as an individual has active lesions on their skin they can transmit the virus to others and infect them also. MC can affect any and all areas of the body. MC are benign and not cancerous. They do not pose any serious health risk to the patient that suffers from them. If left alone MC does usually go away on its own, but it can take months to sometimes years before they go away without treatment.
I most commonly see MC on younger patients and athletes that participate in contact sports. Adults can get them too, but it is not as common.
Treatments for MC can vary depending on size of the lesions, number of lesions requiring treatment, location on the body and age of the patient being treated.
- Canthucur: This is also known as Cantharone or "beetle juice" (it is derived from the blister beetle). This is a great method for children (and adults too!) because it is a painless process when treating the MC. I paint a medication on the lesions that will dry and crust over very quickly. The medicine will stay in contact with your skin for a period of time (usually 45 minutes to 1 hour) and I will tell you when to wash away the medication at home. When you wash off the medication it will cause the skin to react by forming a blister over the MC and surrounding skin and cause the lesions to come off as the skin heals. Children do great with this method and this is often my preferred method of treating MC. Check out the section on Procedure Care to learn how to take care of them after this is done.
- Cryotherapy: This is better known as freezing. I sometimes use liquid nitrogen to freeze away MC. This can sometimes cause discomfort and pain during the process but it is well tolerated by most patients. It is a great method because it works well and does not usually cause much scarring. This may need to be done more than one time over a few visits for patients with many lesions or larger ones. Freezing causes the MC to blister and over time they fall off as the skin heals. Check out the section on Procedure Care to learn how to take care of them after freezing.
- Topical Therapy: Their are various topical creams available by prescription that can be beneficial in the right case. During our evaluation, I would be happy to discuss what the best treatment would be.
During our visit I will discuss with you all of your options and let you know my opinion on what would be the best method to treat your molloscum and how you will see the best results.