RT Book, Section
A1 Weinberg, Samuel
A1 Prose, Neil S.
A1 Kristal, Leonard
SR Print(0)
ID 6987258
T1 Section 5. Viral and Rickettsial Diseases
T2 Color Atlas of Pediatric Dermatology, 4e
YR 2008
FD 2008
PB The McGraw-Hill Companies
PP New York, NY
SN 978-0-07-145543-5
LK accesspediatrics.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=6987258
RD 2024/04/24
AB This  condition  is  a  benign  viral  infection  that  appears  as  crops  of  discrete,  slightly  umbilicated,  flesh-colored,  or  shiny  papules.  It  is  extremely  common  among  children  and  may  be  seen  in  several  children  within  a  family.  The  lesions  may  become  inflamed  if  traumatized  or  infected  and  sometimes  become  inflamed  spontaneously  as  they  resolve.  Rarely  is  there  only  a  solitary  lesion;  most  commonly  there  are  fewer  than  20.  However,  the  total  number  is  sometimes  in  hundreds.  The  lesions  tend  to  be  grouped,  and  the  average  size  of  a  lesion  is  2–3  mm  in  diameter  and  height.  The  trunk,  face,  and  genitalia  are  the  most  common  sites  of  infection.  Pruritus  is  an  occasional  symptom  and  may  be  the  impetus  for  inoculating  the  viral  infection  from  one  area  of  the  skin  to  another.  Molluscum  contagiosum  is  self-limited,  but  treatment  is  often  required  out  of  concern  for  appearance.  Treatment  should  be  individualized  to  the  age  and  extent  of  involvement  in  each  patient.  Destruction  of  lesions  with  a  sharp  curette  is  the  preferred  mode  in  a  cooperative  child  with  limited  disease.  The  child  with  numerous  lesions  poses  a  particular  therapeutic  challenge.