Molluscum Contagiosum is a skin disease or infection caused by Molluscum Contagiosum virus, characterized by pink or red-colored small bumps on the skin. The disease is self-limited and benign therefore prognosis for molluscum contagiosum is excellent. The recovery takes place itself within 12-18 months in individuals who have strong immunity, however the lesions may persists for up to 5 years.
To know more about prognosis in Molluscum Contagiosum, we need to know about it and how it does looks like. The molluscum contagiosum virus causes round or dome shaped bumps on the skin, which have tiny indentation at the top. Sometimes it looks like warts or chicken pox and is many times mistaken for the same. It is caused mostly in children, but adults with weak immunity or multiple sexual partners can also develop this. Generally around 10-20 bumps appear on the skin in moderate cases of molluscum contagiosum. In few cases of weak immune system, the number of bumps may increase. These bumps or lesions cause itching and skin uneasiness along with heat and touch sensitivity. If a person develops other types of skin infection like eczema, along with molluscum contagiosum, the condition might worsen and result in painful eruptions known as ‘Molluscum Eczema.’
The signs and symptom of molluscum contagiosum usually occur on face, chest, limbs, and anywhere else in the body. The molluscum contagiosum virus in adults, affects mostly the face, neck, arms, armpits, hands, abdomen, genitals and inner thighs. It is also seen that when the symptoms of molluscum contagiosum develops on the genitals, the adults may take it as sexually transmitted disease. Although the molluscum contagiosum causes symptoms which looks like symptoms caused by herpes (which is an STD) and is transmitted quickly through sexual contact it is still not considered as an STD.
Prognosis in Molluscum Contagiosum
The prognosis in molluscum contagiosum is usually very good because the disease has ability of self-recovery and is benign. Those individuals with good immune power tend to recover completely in 12-18 months. The lesions may remain on the skin for as long as five years. Those who are healthy and have good immune power usually recover faster and the treatment is effective on them. The lesions can also be disfiguring and might cause nervousness in the patient, his family and people around.
There are also chances of recurring of the molluscum contagiosum virus in about 35% patients even after clearing. The reason for these recurrences is however unknown, but the probable causes may be re-infection of the disease, exacerbation of ongoing disease, or occurrence of new lesions after a prolonged latent period of the virus. The infection becomes generalized in patients who are HIV positive or have very weak immunity. There is a direct correlation between the low CD4 counts and the severity of the disease. It means that the duration of the disease becomes prolonged or uncertain if the person suffers from HIV infection, or those with weak immunity or immunocompromised patients (those who have undergone renal transplant) etc. The MC may not be self-limiting in such cases.
Mortality and Morbidity in Molluscum Contagiosum
The Molluscum Contagiosum is a self-limited and benign infection. Mostly the morbidity is the result of temporary adverse cosmetic reasons. It is higher in immunocompromised patients because the amount of infection is more in them. Till now, no mortality has been found in patients of molluscum contagiosum.
Conclusion
The prognosis of molluscum contagiosum extremely good because it is a self-limited and benign infection; It is caused mostly in children, but adults with weak immunity or multiple sexual partners can also develop this. The Molluscum Contagiosum is characterized by pink or red-colored small bumps on the skin, which 10-20 in number. The recovery takes place itself within 12-18 months in individuals who have strong immunity, but sometimes the lesions may persists for up to 5 years. The duration of the disease becomes prolonged or uncertain if the person suffers from HIV infection, or those with weak immunity or immunocompromised patients (those who have undergone renal transplant) etc.
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