Molluscum contagiosum, commonly known as a water wart, is an epidermal proliferative infectious skin disease caused by infection with the molluscum contagiosum virus (MCV), a poxvirus.
Four subtypes of molluscum contagiosum virus have been identified, all of which can cause disease, but MCV-1 is the most common. Close skin-to-skin contact is the main mode of transmission, but it can also be transmitted through sexual contact, swimming pools and other public facilities. Susceptible populations include children, sexually active people, and immunocompromised individuals. Molluscum contagiosum in children is almost always caused by MCV-1.
The incubation period for molluscum contagiosum is as short as 1 week and as long as 6 months. The rash is a corn to soy-sized hemispherical papule, gray or pearly in color, with a waxy sheen and a central umbilical depression from which a creamy, cheese-like substance, called a molluscum contagiosum, can be discharged or pressed out, and is highly contagious.
The disease generally has no obvious conscious symptoms. The child type is infected through direct skin contact or through a vector, and the rash is commonly found on the back of the hands, limbs, trunk and face. In adults, the rash can occur anywhere outside the palmoplantar area, or on the mucous membranes. Warts can be sexually transmitted and are found on the genitalia, buttocks, lower abdomen, pubic bone and inner thigh area and perianal skin.
The treatment of this disease is mainly local. Under sterile conditions, the warts are scraped off with a spatula, or the molluscum contagiosum is broken with dental forceps or curved vascular forceps, and its contents are squeezed out, followed by external application of antibiotic ointment. Other methods include electrocautery, freezing, laser, etc.
The main prevention is to avoid direct skin contact with the patient, or contact with the patient’s clothing. In cases of multiple recurrences, topical interferon can be used and attention should be paid to the disinfection of undergarments.