A subcutaneous mollusk is a viral disease that should be suspected if suspicious small pimples begin to appear on the skin, ranging in size from a large pea to a millet seed. They can cause a lot of inconvenience, therefore they require increased attention, proper and scrupulous treatment.
Features of the disease
It is immediately worth mentioning that the subcutaneous mollusk has nothing to do with living mollusks and any other living things. Although officially this disease is called molluscum contagiosum. In fact, the virus got its name because of the contents that are inside this pimple. This is a kind of white opaque mass with interspersed keratinized cells of the skin epithelium. The subcutaneous mollusk under the microscope vaguely resembles mollusk shells, hence the name.
The good news for many will be the fact that this disease does not spread across the entire surface of the skin. However, the patient is quite capable of becoming a carrier of this ailment, begin to actively transmit it to others. It is important in this case to get rid of the subcutaneous molluscum contagiosum as quickly as possible. This should be done not only for the aesthetic effect, but also because of a number of possible unpleasant symptoms that constantly accompany this disease.
Who is at risk
Most often, unfortunately, subcutaneous mollusk appears in children. First of all, they are at risk. It manifests itself in juveniles mainly from one to ten years of age. It is easiest to get infected by contact with another carrier. Subcutaneous molluscum in adults is also manifested, although much less frequently.
In most cases, they become infected with this disease in the sandbox, on the beach, when using someone else's clothing, in the pool. From a photo of a subcutaneous mollusk in adults, we can conclude that in them it usually appears on the abdomen or inner thighs, and sometimes affects the genitals.
In children, peculiar pimples-nodules appear on the hands, face, chest, shoulders and stomach. You need to understand that it is very difficult to establish the exact source of infection, as a rule, because the disease does not appear immediately, but in the period from two weeks to three months.
In fact, the subcutaneous mollusk is a benign viral lesion of the skin, and in some cases of the mucous membranes. DNA cells, which in their structure are similar to smallpox pathogens, become the provocateurs of this disease. In childhood, the subcutaneous mollusk is often manifested due to the fact that the immunity of babies is too weak and vulnerable.
Causes
This disease is caused by orthopoxvirus, which is a direct relative of smallpox, chickenpox and vaccines. The subcutaneous mollusk in children is introduced into the upper layers of the epidermis, stimulating accelerated cell division. Ultimately, specific growths are formed that have a characteristic appearance.
The causes of this ailment are as follows:
- close and direct contact with an infected person when skin to skin comes into contact;
- swimming in the same pool with the infected;
- the use of toys, shared dishes or linen with a carrier of the virus.
It is worth noting that only people are affected by this disease. Adults predominantly become infected during intercourse when they come into contact with their partner's skin. At the same time, the fact of intercourse does not affect the infection, it is for this reason that most medical international organizations do not attribute it to the group of sexually transmitted infections. The ICD code of molluscum contagiosum B08.1. It belongs to the category "Other viral infections characterized by lesions of the skin and mucous membranes, not elsewhere classified".
In adult patients, the inner thigh, perineum, external genitalia, lower abdomen are affected.
If the infection occurred in a domestic way, the specific localization of the mollusk does not exist, it can be found in any area of the skin. A favorable condition for its spread is microtrauma and damage to the skin. In most situations, cases of infection are extremely single in nature, even despite its high contagiousness. Moreover, in kindergartens with the spread of the virus, it can become endemic.
It is not at all difficult to determine from a photo of a subcutaneous mollusk. Factors contributing to its spread are, in addition to contact with the skin, a humid atmosphere, crowding. Soon after the first clinical signs of the disease appear, it spreads throughout the body by self-infection. Acquired and congenital immune deficiencies at the cellular level contribute to this infection. The body’s vulnerability to this disease is several times higher in people with HIV infection, since their immunity is significantly reduced.
Due to the fact that the main causative agent of this disease is a DNA virus, you will not be able to achieve a complete cure. But modern methods make it possible to achieve persistent and prolonged remission.
Symptoms
When the incubation period is left behind, single dense nodules appear on the skin, which are painless. They have a rounded shape, white color. It is they who are affected by this disease. The color of the skin around the affected area remains unchanged, it can acquire only a slightly pink tint. In some cases, a pearly or waxy gloss appears.
After this, a rapid increase in the number of elements of this ailment begins due to self-infection. The size of the rash can be different - from peas to millet grains. When several elements merge, even giant molluscum contagiosum mollusks can be formed, having the characteristic appearance of hemispherical papules with a sunken central part.
Nodules can be located in any part of our body. It is extremely unpleasant to look at the photo with a contagious mollusk on the face. Just because of the fact that in the second stage self-infection occurs mainly through the hands, areas of the skin that are most often in contact with them are affected. This is the neck, face, upper body, in some cases the hands themselves. Rashes are erratic, and their number can reach several hundred in only one patient. If a person practices involuntary scratching, rubbing hands, this will only increase the number of molluscum contagiosum on the body.
If you accidentally or deliberately press on the molluscum contagiosum, a porridge-like white mass will be released from it, which will consist of lymphocytes and keratinized cells. It also contains specific mollusk-shaped bodies. Subjective sensations with the appearance and spread of this disease in most cases are absent, some patients can only notice a slight infiltration that occurs when a secondary infection is attached, characteristic itching.
If atypical forms of molluscum contagiosum occur, the concave center on the rashes may not exist at all, while the elements themselves are too small. In minors, profuse forms are determined in patients with atopic dermatitis, immunodeficiency, leukemia. As a rule, this disease proceeds without any disturbances, only in rare cases purulent and aseptic abscesses around this lesion area are possible. In exceptional cases, superinfection appears, after which scars remain on the skin.
If to summarize the description of the symptoms of this disease, then they appear in acne of a relatively small size, as a rule, from two to five millimeters. The number of appeared nodules in most cases does not exceed twenty. Externally, these pimples have a characteristic dimple in the center and a dome shape. At first they are very dense, but over time they become much softer.
Diagnostics
Determining even a photo of a subcutaneous mollusk in children and adults will not be difficult. At the same time, only a professional can do this with full confidence. If you or your child develop the corresponding symptoms, you should immediately consult a dermatologist.
The doctor will be able to make an accurate diagnosis based on a detailed visual examination of the patient. If in doubt, histological examination should be used for diagnosis. In its framework, mollusk bodies are found in the cytoplasm of epidermal cells.
Differentiating molluscum contagiosum is necessary when similar diseases occur. For example, various forms of keratoacanthomas, lichen planus, warts.
The danger of this disease is primarily due to unsightly appearance. You are convinced of this when you see a photo of a molluscum contagiosum on the face. When such problems appear in minors, many parents begin to seriously worry about the occurrence of complications of this skin infection.
In fact, this ailment does not lead to any serious complications. The only danger is the attachment of a secondary bacterial infection. This occurs with incorrect treatment of pathology, non-compliance with hygiene rules, as well as with accidental or intentional damage to neoplasms.
In such situations, molluscum contagiosum can cause complications in the form of microbial dermatitis. It is not difficult to get rid of it, but scars usually remain in the places of formation of growths.
Surgical treatment
In the treatment of subcutaneous mollusk in children and adults, surgical removal gives a good effect. It is carried out after preliminary local anesthesia using curettage under the film. An experienced doctor can remove a large number of these contagious mollusks in one session, since the patient practically does not feel pain during the procedure.
As a rule, the treatment of subcutaneous mollusk with surgical surgery is one of the most common ways to get rid of this ailment. In most cases, doctors recommend limiting to one session per month. So, within a few months you can achieve a complete clinical recovery.
In this case, there is a mechanical elimination of the affected skin elements that are caused by the filtering virus. Nodules are removed after thorough skin treatment with a cream with local anesthesia. After that, each element is separately captured from the sides with surgical tweezers, then squeezed out or scraped out with a sharp Volkman spoon. After removal, the damaged area is treated with tincture of brilliant green, iodine or potassium permanganate for three to five days. To avoid the further appearance of nodules, it is recommended to apply an antiviral ointment to affected skin participants.
The big plus of this treatment method is that after the operation there is no trace of the contents of these nodules, only in rare cases after curettage is it recommended to electrocoagulate the lesion sites. Most often, injuries to the skin are minimal.
Options include removing a molluscum contagiosum, radio wave method, or cryodestruction path. With the radio wave removal of this disease, they are destroyed by radio wave radiation.
Before performing the removal of nodules, local application anesthesia is performed using Emla cream. It is worth noting that the radio waves act exclusively on the nodules of the molluscum contagiosum, without damaging the surrounding tissue, without leaving traces that can be seen with the naked eye.
Removing elements of a molluscum contagiosum using the radio wave method is much less traumatic and painless than the mechanical method. At the final stage, immunomodulating and antiviral therapy is performed.
The way of cryodestruction is to remove the nodules by freezing them with liquid nitrogen at low temperatures. Cryodestruction is carried out by applying liquid nitrogen to harmful elements with a cotton swab or spraying them with an aerosol cryodestruction for ten to fifteen seconds. Usually this method is considered effective when the nodules are very small, in diameter up to one millimeter, and if there are not many. As part of this therapy, immunomodulatory drugs, treatment of the sexual partner when it comes to an adult patient, and disinfection of household items are also prescribed.
Now you can even determine from a photo a subcutaneous mollusk in children. It is worth knowing that in some cases, the removal of these nodules with a laser is used. In most cases, this method is recognized as the most preferred and effective. In dermatology, a carbon dioxide laser is used, which allows you to remove pathologically affected tissue layer by layer. This is done with maximum accuracy without mechanical or thermal injury to healthy skin.
Among the advantages of the laser technique are contactlessness, bloodlessness, the possibility of visual control over the operation, sterility, an excellent cosmetic result when there are no traces of the neoplasm. Removal is performed under local anesthesia.
other methods
If there are very few rashes, then chemotherapy drugs are effective. But they are not recommended for use for a long time, as this can lead to an irritating effect on the skin.
With minor dissemination, UV therapy is also used. Healing ultraviolet rays have a desensitizing, restorative, anti-inflammatory and immunostimulating effect. The main thing is, before starting light therapy with ultraviolet rays, to establish the presence of individual sensitivity to this method, as well as the optimal biodose, which is individual for each patient. It is determined using test irradiation of the skin of the forearm or buttock. Remember that UV-therapy is contraindicated in case of precancerous lesions of the skin, albinism, systemic lupus erythematosus, dermatomyositis, a strong susceptibility to light therapy, pigment xeroderma.
In the treatment of minors, the tuberculin application method is often used. In pediatric dermatology, it is used as one of the most painless and safe. This is a new and modern technique, while there is no more or less accurate data on its effectiveness. The main thing is that minors should be pre-vaccinated with isoprinosine or BCG.
Ointments
Often in the fight against this disease, ointments are used. They are prescribed for adults who seek to remove these dermatological manifestations. A similar tactic is used in cases where, for whatever reason, it is not recommended or does not want to resort to surgical methods. The main thing is not to make such decisions on your own, but be sure to consult a doctor.
As a gentle treatment, molluscum contagiosum can be removed even at home with the help of local preparations. For example, such methods are recommended for minors, remembering that for a baby, any option for removing growths is associated with stress.
Ointments with antiviral active ingredients act directly on the pathogens that destroy DNA, and on the cause of the formation of papules. Funds should be applied several times a day for one to three months. The exact period will depend on the number of rashes, their tendency to merge into large and dangerous plaques. Among the most suitable medications in these cases are Viferon, Ifagel, Oxolin, Acyclovir.
There are several ways to treat this disease using folk remedies based on grandmother's recipes. According to reviews of the treatment of molluscum contagiosum, they are effective only when using complex therapy. Before choosing one or another method, you should definitely consult a doctor.
For example, you can grind several cloves of garlic to a pulp state. Mix the resulting mixture with one teaspoon of butter. Bring the mass to a homogeneous consistency, and then apply three times a day to the neoplasms.
Another recipe is based on a succession. Two tablespoons of this herb pour one glass of boiling water, and then bring the broth to a boil.Close the container in which you will store it, let it brew for one hour. The resulting infusion is recommended to thoroughly wipe the papules three times a day.
A concentrated solution of potassium permanganate, popularly known as potassium permanganate, is used to wipe the affected areas of the skin. This allows you to finally get rid of any manifestations of this disease in a fairly short time. The main thing is to be careful with this and other methods of treatment, you must first consult a doctor.
In the treatment of molluscum contagiosum, even the juice of some plants, for example, bird cherry, is used. It is often used as a long and effectively proven means of helping to heal affected skin after the removal of the harmful nodules that appear with this disease. Apply cherry juice on the wounds every day until complete healing. To obtain the cherry juice, it should be squeezed out of the fresh leaves of the plant, and then stored in a tightly closed container in a cool place, preferably in the refrigerator. Remember that the duration of this tool is short - only a few days. Then you have to squeeze the juice from the leaves again.
If you decide to use celandine juice, you should be doubly careful. Although this is an effective tool, the plant itself is considered poisonous. After consulting with your doctor, apply the product to damaged areas of the body. You can prepare the plant juice yourself. If this is not possible, get the celandine tincture ready-made, it is sold in almost any pharmacy that you meet on your way.
High efficiency against this disease was demonstrated by the collection of medicinal herbs. For its preparation, you should take calendula flowers, eucalyptus leaves, birch and pine buds, yarrow grass, juniper berries. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly, taking three tablespoons of each component. Then grind the finished mixture. Pour one tablespoon of the collection with a glass of boiling water. After an hour, strain the healing product. Infusion is used as an external agent for the treatment of rashes. Also, it can be taken orally at 100 ml twice a day.
Genital Virus
It is imperative to get rid of the virus if a molluscum contagiosum has appeared on the pubic part of women or on the external genital organs of men. At the same time, you should inform your sexual partner about the problem, so that he also takes appropriate measures.
As a rule, in such cases, the doctor is ready to cope with the problem on an outpatient basis. When it is necessary to bring contagious mollusk to the groin, it can be eliminated by one of the above methods. Most often this is done with a sharp Volkman spoon or tweezers. If extensive skin is affected, then the use of antiviral drugs is mandatory. Without them, it will not be possible to completely get rid of the disease, if you do not drink on their course, the neoplasms will return again and again.
Photos of molluscum contagiosum in women on the pubic part are not presented in the article for ethical reasons. But you can imagine how repulsive it looks live.
Prevention
Prevention of molluscum contagiosum in the groin and other areas of the skin will be beneficial.
As a rule, the prognosis of getting rid of this disease is favorable. Problems can only occur in patients with immunodeficiency.
Prevention is effective, which consists in observing elementary rules of personal hygiene in the home and in public places. When making this unpleasant diagnosis, it is necessary to isolate infected children, especially from peers who are most susceptible to infection due to fragile immunity. In this case, the quarantine in duration coincides with the duration of the incubation period. Its exact timing is recommended to check with your doctor. Also, all maintenance personnel and the children's team should be subjected to preventive examinations daily when the carrier of the virus appears.