How is molluscum treated?

You should discuss all treatment options with a health care provider. Usually no treatment is needed because the bumps disappear by themselves within 6-12 months, although this may take up to 4 years.

To prevent the spread of molluscum to other areas of your body or to other people, it is important to keep every blister or bump covered either with clothing or with a watertight bandage. However, to promote healthy skin, do remove the bandage at night and when there is no risk of others coming into contact with your skin.

A number of treatment options are available, but some (available from internet services) are not effective and may even be harmful. Therefore, always discuss any possible therapy with your health care provider. Treating the molluscum growths may prevent spread to other parts of the body and to other people. Not everyone agrees on how well treatments work.

Treatment is more difficult for persons with weakened immune systems (for example, people who are HIV positive or receiving cancer drugs). For people with weakened immune systems, the best treatment seems to be medications that help strengthen the immune system.

Treatment Options in the Health Care Setting

Cryotherapy (freezing the molluscum growth) is one treatment option. This is the same way that warts are removed from the skin. Another option is to remove the fluid inside the bumps (termed curettage). Lasers also can remove molluscum bumps.

All three options may be a little painful and should only be done by a health care professional. Both curettage and cryotherapy methods may leave scars. In a small percentage of cases, natural healing of molluscum contagiosum bumps lead to scars regardless of type of therapy.

Treatment Options in the Home Setting

Check with a health care provider before using any of these treatments. Most of these creams and oral medicines are available by prescription.

Creams that include certain chemicals (i.e., salicylic acid, podophyllin, tretinoin, and cantharidin) may be used to remove the bumps. There is also a newer cream (imiquimod) that helps strengthen the skin's immune system. The creams are applied directly to each growth. Unfortunately these creams do not always remove the bumps and they may be harmful.

The oral medicine cimetidine has been used for treatment of molluscum in small children. This medicine is available only by prescription. As with all medications, cimetidine may cause unwanted side effects.

In general, medications should not be used by pregnant women, women who are breast feeding, or women who may become pregnant-without first asking a health care provider.

Once I am cured can I be reinfected with molluscum contagiosum?

Yes. Recovery from one infection with molluscum does not prevent future infections with molluscum so it is important not to pick at or scratch other people's skin.

However, molluscum contagiosum is not like herpes viruses, which can remain dormant ("sleeping") in your body for long periods of time and then reappear. If you get new molluscum contagiosum bumps after you are cured, it means you have come in contact with an infected person or object.

Should I try to remove the bumps caused by molluscum?

It is not a good idea to try to remove the molluscum growths or to get rid of the fluid inside them yourself.

Be aware that some treatments available through the internet are not effective and may even be harmful!

There are three important reasons not to treat the bumps without seeing a doctor first.

1. The treatment may be painful.
2. You might spread the bumps to another part of your body or to another person.
3. By scratching and scraping the skin you might cause a more serious bacterial infection. If you want to have the growths removed or treated, talk to a health care provider. Molluscum bumps usually will disappear without treatment in 6 to 12 months and not leave scars, but it may not go away completely for up to 4 years.

Are there any complications of molluscum contagiosum infection?

The most common complication is a secondary infection caused by bacteria. Additionally, the removal of bumps by scratching, freezing (cryotherapy), or fluid removal (curettage) can leave scars on the skin.

Can my child go to day care or school if he or she has molluscum?

There should be no reason to keep a child with molluscum infection home from day care or school.

Growths not covered by clothing should be covered with a watertight bandage. Change the bandage daily or when obviously soiled.

If a child with bumps in the underwear/diaper area needs assistance going to the bathroom or needs diaper changes, then growths in this area should be bandaged too if possible.

Covering the bumps will protect other children and adults from getting molluscum and will also keep the child from touching and scratching the bumps, which could spread the bumps to other parts of his/her body or cause secondary (bacterial) infections.

Remind children to wash their hands frequently. See "The Buzz on Scuzz" on the CDC BAM site for handwashing tips.

What do I need to know about swimming pools and molluscum?

Some investigations report that spread of molluscum contagiosum is increased in swimming pools. However, it has not been proved how or under what circumstances swimming pools might increase spread of the virus. Activities related to swimming might be the cause. For example, the virus might spread from one person to another if they share a towel or toys. More research is needed to understand if and for how long the molluscum virus can live in swimming pool water and if such water can infect swimmers.

Open sores and breaks in the skin can become infected by many different germs. Therefore, people with open sores or breaks from any cause should not go into swimming pools.

If a person has molluscum bumps, the following recommendations should be followed when swimming:

• Cover all visible bumps with watertight bandages
• Dispose of all used bandages at home
• Do not share towels, kick boards or other equipment, or toys

See also "Recommendations: Patients with Molluscum Contagiosum and Swimming Pool Safety"

Is molluscum contagiosum a sexually transmitted disease?

Molluscum contagiosum can be spread by any contact between two people-this includes sexual contact. Many, but not all, cases of molluscum in adults are caused by sexual contact.

Treatment for molluscum is usually recommended if the growths are in the genital area (on or near the penis, vulva, vagina, or anus). If bumps are found in the genital area, it is a good idea to discuss with a health care provider the possibility that you might have another disease that is spread by sexual contact.

I am HIV positive. How could molluscum contagiosum affect me?

Persons with HIV disease are at increased risk for acquiring molluscum. The growths may be very large-the size of a dime or larger (at least 15 millimeters). Bumps may be anywhere on the body but are often on the face. These growths usually do not go away by themselves.

Treatment of molluscum among HIV-positive persons is more difficult than in people with normal immune systems. The best treatment for people with HIV seems to be helping to strengthen the immune system with antiretroviral (anti-HIV) medications.

The risk of a secondary infection caused by bacteria is always present. If you are HIV positive or think you might be, it is especially important that you see a health care provider. This person will discuss possible treatments for molluscum and ways to improve your overall health.

I have a weakened immune system. How could molluscum contagiosum affect me?

Severe case of molluscum
on an immunocompromised
patient's back.
Image courtesy Inger
Damon, MD, CDC
  Persons with weakened immune systems (such as cancer, organ transplantation, HIV etc.) are at increased risk for catching molluscum and may develop very large growths (the size of a dime or larger-at least 15 millimeters in diameter). Bumps may be anywhere on the body but tend to occur on the face and not to go away by themselves.

Treatment of molluscum is more difficult among persons with weakened immune systems. The best treatment is to strengthen the immune system by treating the primary problem.

The risk of a secondary infection caused by bacteria is always present. Your health care provider will discuss possible treatments for molluscum and ways to improve your overall health.

Since molluscum contagiosum virus is a poxvirus, does the smallpox vaccination protect me from getting molluscum contagiosum?

No, the smallpox vaccination will not protect you from becoming infected with molluscum contagiosum virus. Although both molluscum contagiosum virus and smallpox (variola) virus are from the same group of viruses (poxviruses), they have significantly different genetic make-up and are easily distinguished by your immune system.