Clinical Characteristics of Molluscum Contagiosum in Children in a Private Dermatology Practice in the Greater Paris Area, France: A Prospective Study in 661 Patients

Abstract

Background: Series regarding the clinical characteristics of molluscum contagiosum (MC) are retrospective and concern small defined populations seen in a hospital setting. Methods: We prospectively studied patients under 15 years of age with MC seen in 25 private dermatology practices in the greater Paris area during 1 year. Results: Six hundred fifty patients were included. The mean age was 6 years. Of the patients, 30.5% had had MC in the past, 53% had 5–20 MC, 43% had a history of atopic dermatitis (AD), 5% were using topical steroids, 25.5% had coexistent AD, 13% had giant MC (>5 mm), 21% had inflammatory MC, and 19% had MC surrounded by eczema. Bathing with siblings was associated with a higher number of MC. A history of AD was associated with the presence of MC surrounded by eczema. The use of topical steroids was associated with a higher risk of relapse. There was no relation between environmental factors (MC in surrounding people, going to the swimming pool, sports practice) and the number of lesions or between environmental factors and the number of recurrences. Conclusion: Atypical lesions are frequent. Bathing with siblings is associated with a higher number of MC. Topical steroid use increases the risk of relapses. AD prevalence is higher than in the general population.

Diagnosis of Atopic Dermatitis: Mimics, Overlaps, and Complications

“…Approximately one-quarter of patients with MC develop MD [44,46] while half of patients with AD do so [44]. There is some speculation that patients with AD may also be more susceptible to MC, but data are not conclusive [44,46,47,48]. …”

Molluscum contagiosum and associations with atopic eczema in children: a retrospective longitudinal study in primary care

“…7 Furthermore, no studies have described primary care management, including prescribing and referrals to secondary care. 8 Atopic eczema (AE) has been found to be common in children with MC, [9][10][11][12][13] and the prevalence of AE is higher in children with MC than in the general population. 14,15 However, most studies describing this association have been based in specialty dermatology clinics, 12 and have not explored the temporal relationship between the two conditions.…”

Molluscum Contagiosum Virus: Persistence Pays Off

“…For example, mutations in the DOCK8 gene, a guanine nucleotide exchange factor predicted to play a role in cytoskeleton rearrangement, have been linked to recurrent cutaneous viral infections including MCV [21]. Several reports show that atopic dermatitis increases the risk of a MCV infection, the number of MC lesions and the risk of relapse [9,13,22,23]. The continued study of these and other populations that have increased rates of MCV infection are expected to enable scientists to identify the important host anti-MCV immune responses that are required for resolution of infection.…”