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Molluscum Contagiosum

Molluscum is a very common viral infection of the skin seen mostly in healthy children. It is more common in children with eczema (atopic dermatitis). It is not harmful to your child, and it is okay to leave untreated if there are very few lesions. It generally does not cause symptoms, but may itch or become inflamed and sometimes infected. It will eventually disappear, but may take months or even years.

It is contagious, particularly when children bathe or swim together or share towels or washcloths. It is also spread by skin-to-skin contact and scratching. It is not necessary to keep children who are infected with molluscum out of school, although physical contact and sharing of clothes and towels should be discouraged.

Common treatments include topical application of Canthacur or freezing (which are done in the office and cause the lesions to blister, scab and fall off), Aldara cream (which aids the immune system in fighting the virus), Retin-A cream, scraping, and sometimes even an oral medication called Tagamet (cimetidine).

Please be patient as multiple visits may be required to eradicate the molluscum. We generally separate visits by 2-3 weeks.

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