What’s this?

OPEN IN VIEWER

Case study A 3-year-old boy attends with his mother with clusters of small spots on his torso. His mother is mostly concerned about their cosmetic appearance as they are not causing him discomfort. He sometimes scratches them and she has noticed that a few new spots have appeared next to where he has scratched.

Reproduced with permission from DermNet NZ, website of New Zealand Dermatological Society Incorporated.

This is molluscum contagiosum.

Molluscum is an extremely common viral skin infection which causes small clusters of papules on the skin. They affect children mostly but can also infect adults, particularly the immunocompromised. Anywhere on the body can be affected but the virus prefers moist areas such as the axillae, antecubital fossae and behind the knees. The papules are often between 1 and 6 mm, have a waxy surface and can be pink or brown in colour. They often have a central punctum.

The papules often last many months, sometimes years. They are benign and eventually resolve often leaving no mark. Usually when they are about to resolve they will become reddened and cracked.

There is no specific treatment and often all that is needed is parental reassurance. The spots can pass from child to child through skin contact so hygiene measures should be encouraged, and scratching discouraged. Molluscum can commonly complicate eczema, and in these cases appropriate treatment of the underlying eczema can limit spread.