Molluscum Contagiosum

Molluscum Contagiosum
Originally uploaded by docfiles.

Just saw a child with this not uncommon lesions over her back. It is caused by a pox virus and is infectious but self limiting. I removed them by cutting the top with a needle, squeezing out the material inside and putting some povidone iodine on it. Painless.

More info from the CDC :

Molluscum contagiosum is a benign superficial skin disease caused by a poxvirus. It is characterized by small pearly papules with a central depression whose core may be expressed, producing a white cheesy material. The lesions average 2 to 5 mm in size and are usually painless, but may become inflamed, red, and swollen. Molluscum contagiosum is a self-limited infection; the papules usually disappear spontaneously within 6 to 12 months but may take as long as 4 years to resolve.