from the Winter 2003 issue
Does your child have small skin-colored or pink bumps on the skin? If so, he or she may have a common skin infection called molluscum contagiosum. The bumps are caused by a virus – similar to the skin virus that causes common warts. As the name implies, the condition is contagious. Once a child has one lesion, it could become several lesions. Pediatricians often are familiar with this condition and may advise that no treatment is necessary since the bumps will go away without intervention. The child's immune system eventually recognizes the virus as foreign and does its job to get rid of it. This process may take months or sometimes even a year or more. In the meantime, the lesions may spread, and some patients complain of itching. The more lesions there are, the more difficult the condition is to treat. There are various treatments, including liquid nitrogen (freezing), curettage (scraping), and a blistering agent called cantherone. This last option is often preferable for younger children because, unlike freezing or scraping, it is a painless office procedure. A topical cream that can be applied at home is also available and has been used successfully in some cases to treat molluscum.
If you suspect your child has molluscum, call us at 713.796.9199 for an appointment.
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