From infancy, the child actively communicates with his peers and adults. From this we can conclude: the wider the baby’s social circle, the more acute the question of its possible infection with a specific viral disease, for example, a molluscum contagiosum.
The carrier of such a disease is a sick person. The virus can infect both a child and an adult. If the second, as a rule, this is transmitted through sexual contact, then children in nurseries in swimming pools and other public places when you have to use other people's personal things (toys, combs, bedding and towels). It is important to determine the causes and treatment of molluscum contagiosum in children and adults in time.
Disease definition
The causative agent is the contagious molluscum virus VKM, which spreads on the surface of the skin, which as a result leads to the formation of characteristic nodular formations of different shades on them. The mollusk virus is diagnosed in children and adults on any part of the body, but most often it spreads over delicate skin - places of inguinal and natural folds, genitals, eyelids, face.
Most often, the child becomes infected with the virus while playing with peers in the yard or while chatting in kindergarten. The peak incidence occurs in the age of 3 to 4 years.
It should be remembered that the formation on the skin of an adult after some time may disappear on its own, but will reappear afterwards. Dermatologists are involved in the diagnosis and treatment plan of the disease. When the first symptoms of the clam virus appear, it is important to immediately seek help from a doctor and undergo a comprehensive examination.
How is the treatment carried out?
This is a disease of a viral nature and in most cases affects a person at a time when his immune defense is greatly reduced. Often this occurs in the postoperative period, with exacerbation of chronic diseases, prolonged and persistent colds, during radiation therapy. It is under such conditions that the body is more likely to be attacked by pathogens.
Once on the skin, the virus has several pathways. The first is passive, which after entering the body can develop in a latent form and only at a convenient moment show itself on the surface of the body. The second way of development is active, when the mollusk virus in adults and children is detected after a couple of weeks. In this case, the therapy is more effective.
It is much easier for treating specialists to treat the active form of the disease, since it helps to determine the fact of the presence of the virus in the patient's body. With an inactive course, it will not be possible to predict the disease. The carrier of the molluscum contagiosum virus can be determined only after suffering severe stress, while with a drop in the level of protection of local immunity, it will not be possible to compare the volumes of real infection of the body and visible symptoms.
In the presence of such signs, specialists use complex methods of therapy against molluscum contagiosum, which include powerful antiviral therapy. In the event of the appearance of certain significant forms of the disease together with the complex treatment of the mollusk virus in children, surgical intervention can be prescribed.
It is possible to declare the complete destruction of the virus only in the case when the disease will not manifest itself for 6 months after the end of therapy.
Drug treatment
What causes the molluscum contagiosum virus? Unfortunately, antibacterial medications will not help patients overcome this disease. The basis of therapy is a group of antiviral drugs. The following drugs are considered the most effective and popular: Altevir, Interferon, Genferon, Viferon and others.
The choice of pharmaceutical product will depend on the results of the tests and the final decision of the doctor. A specialist will not only help you choose an effective medication, but also prescribe the optimal dosage.
Many funds are taken in the form of tablets, and if necessary, local drugs are added to them - "Acyclovir", "Panavir", "Viferon", "Zovirax".
Some recommend at home treating the body surface with a solution of iodine or brilliant green with preliminary removal of the contents of the tumor. Such treatment can be carried out only after consulting a doctor. A dermatologist will carefully study the form and condition of the formation, then, if necessary, prescribe tests and recommend effective treatment at home.
Content can only be removed from small formations with a clear liquid inside. The treatment of inflammation on the skin is carried out for a week until the moment when they are completely dry and not reduced in size. Also, formations can be effectively affected by hydrogen peroxide or tincture of celandine (if they are small). In the clinic, specialists may advise cauterization with trichloroacetic acid.
Means for external application
The mollusk virus in children can be treated with isotretinoin in the composition. These include retinoic ointment or Retasol liquid consistency.
The drugs are applied to diseased parts of the body several times a day until the neoplasm becomes smaller and completely disappears. When treating a mollusk, an important medication to strengthen the immune system is Aldara, which contains imiquimod. The drug does not directly affect the virus, but normalizes the immune system, helps to accelerate the fight against the disease and restore the body.
It will take a long time to use the drug - for three months, in order to completely eliminate the infection and normalize the immune system. Since the described product has not yet been patented in Russia, it is not officially prescribed by doctors. In Europe, the drug began to be used for medicinal purposes not so long ago, so you can buy it for conservative treatment only after the doctor’s permission.
The analogue of Aldara is considered to be Keravort, which also includes imiquimod. The modifier of the immune response activates the body’s active fight against diseases, as a result of its action a large number of cytokines and interferon-alpha are produced, which helps fight pathology.
Both of the described drugs have a minimum number of contraindications and do not cause an adverse reaction; at the end of treatment, they are almost completely eliminated by the kidneys. It is not recommended to use drugs if the patient has an individual intolerance to the substances in the composition, as well as with severe inflammation on the skin. With accuracy, the funds should be applied to the face.
If after treatment on the surface of the skin there are noticeable traces or scars after the neoplasm, then in order to eliminate them and mask, you can use the drug "Molyustin", which actively regenerates new cells and helps to build tissue. Lotion is used according to the instructions. The first result can be seen already after a week - the skin is quickly restored and takes on its former appearance.
Operation
The most effective and often used method of eliminating the disease is curettage of the body of the mollusk. As in the case of adults and children, therapy requires mandatory hospitalization, as the intervention is carried out in a clinic under general anesthesia. It is impossible to damage the neoplasm on its own. Curettage is carried out only on single growths, which differ in small size.
Curettage is carried out by means of a special Volkman spoon with a sharp edge, which eliminates the formation almost entirely, but it can accidentally touch healthy areas of the skin. So that the virus does not pass to other parts of the body, the removal site is pre-treated with a special solution. After surgery, there is a high risk that visible scars of a rough nature will remain on the body.
This method of treating neoplasms is considered obsolete and is used very rarely when the clinic cannot help the patient in another, safer way.
Liquid nitrogen cryotherapy
This is another popular method for eliminating tumors on the body that have reached a large size. The procedure is considered the most popular and budget in terms of price and quality, performed under local anesthesia. Under the action of liquid nitrogen, the mollusk itself and a small area of the skin with which it is surrounded are destroyed. A photo of the molluscum contagiosum virus and its removal is presented below.
After the end of treatment, almost no marks, scars or scars remain on the body, but the main disadvantage of the procedure is the need to conduct therapy several times. In some cases, a significant effect can be achieved only after 4-5 procedures.
Neoplasm electrocoagulation
You can eliminate the clam virus in another way. This is electrocoagulation. Under the influence of current, the skin is heated, and the base of the mollusk literally burns out.
It is forbidden to eliminate the contagious virus in a child with the help of such therapy, as this can lead to serious injuries and gross scars on delicate skin.
Using a laser
Removing the neoplasm in this way also brings its result. Modern methods of treating the disease are now used in almost any clinic, so eliminating molluscum contagiosum with a laser is simple and safe. There are a lot of advantages of removing the disease in this way:
- the risk of re-infection after the end of treatment is excluded;
- there is no danger of infection of blood cells and the formation of suppuration;
- high sterility of therapy;
- It is distinguished by its safety, therefore it is allowed to use it even for children;
- no injury occurs to tissues located nearby with the focus of inflammation.
With a molluscum contagious form, laser removal is carried out according to the following principle: before the procedure, the integuments are carefully treated with anesthetic cream, the skin surface is heated with a laser to a high temperature (at least 150 degrees Celsius). It is under these conditions that viruses begin to die actively, and tissues that are changed due to their action evaporate.
The laser beam very carefully removes the molluscum contagiosum, penetrating into healthy tissue by only 0.5 millimeters. This fact completely eliminates the risk of injury to healthy cells and ensures the preservation of skin elasticity. Therapy lasts for 20 minutes, after which the patient is released until the next procedure.
When removing large formations, several sessions may be required. Most often, they are carried out after all the redness and swelling disappear on the skin after the first laser removal. After the procedure, the patient is forbidden to wet the affected area, visit tanning salons or stay in direct sunlight for the next three days.
Contraindications for surgery
Surgical removal of the neoplasm is carried out only when conservative and other more gentle methods do not bring results and do not cleanse the skin from rashes. However, it is important to remember that radical methods do not in all cases bring results, since there is a certain group of contraindications for them.
Treatment of the mollusk virus with surgical methods is prohibited:
- newborns;
- women with childbearing or breastfeeding;
- in the presence of dangerous skin diseases (severe allergic reaction, fungus);
- in identifying severe diseases of the cardiovascular system;
- patients with epilepsy and other types of mental disorders.
For the described persons, it is prohibited to use any kind of surgical intervention in the treatment of this pathology.
Why is it forbidden to get rid of yourself?
Many patients do not treat the molluscum contagiosum as a serious disease, considering it to be something like a simple abscess, a wen, which can be easily eliminated on its own. If a patient tries to cure a neoplasm at home, he should be prepared for the following consequences:
- spread of infection through the wound;
- incomplete disappearance of the disease, its re-manifestation in other parts of the body.
If any skin rashes appear that are at least somewhat like a virus, it is important not to hesitate. It is mandatory to seek the help of a doctor and strictly follow his subsequent instructions. The fight against the disease can take a lot of time, so the attending specialist should monitor the treatment process.
Factors provoking the disease, symptoms
The causative agent of skin disease is a filtering virus that leaves the group of smallpox. Most often, the disease manifests itself in adults who have an erratic sex life. The incubation period is from 1 week to a couple of months, the average period is 2-7 weeks. The main factors leading to the appearance of malaise include:
- not following personal hygiene standards;
- poor living conditions or problems with cleanliness in the house;
- diseases, as a result of which the human immune system is severely affected.
The disease begins with the appearance of elevated hemispherical nodules on the skin. They are formed both singly and in whole groups. The color may not differ from the existing skin tone or be slightly brighter. In the middle of the hemisphere, you can see a small indented area that looks very much like a human navel. As a rule, such diseases manifest themselves only after 3-6 months after infection has entered the body.
The main symptoms of the disease:
- pain, discomfort;
- highlighting the mass of a light shade from the formation at the time of pressure;
- single or multiple nodules on the surface of the skin;
- rashes on the hips, buttocks, genitals, as well as in the lower abdomen;
- formations differ in the shape of a hemisphere and have a size from 1 millimeter to 1 centimeter.
Diagnostic measures
Diagnostics includes the following procedures:
- external examination of the patient's body;
- dermatoscopy;
- taking blood for analysis.
In the photo of the mollusk virus in children, you can see what the rash on the skin of the hand looks like.
Detailed description
Visually, such rashes are easily diagnosed due to the peculiarities of their appearance. In a child, a molluscum contagiosum spreads over the face, limbs or trunk. These are mainly small papules (diameter about 5 millimeters) with a depression in the center. The photo of the mollusk virus in children, presented below, shows how tumors on the face may look.
The main signs of the virus:
- round or domed shape;
- the presence of pronounced boundaries;
- pink or flesh-colored with a pearly surface;
- there is no process of inflammation or swelling;
- there is a center of light color.
Opinions about the disease and its treatment
Reviews of molluscum contagiosum in children say that it is necessary to treat such ailment in a timely manner in order to prevent an advanced stage of development. This is evidenced not only by the opinions of parents, but also by specialists.
There are reviews that oxolin ointment was very good for therapy, while cauterization with nitrogen in a child was ineffective and rashes reappeared.
There were situations when both children fell ill in the family. One managed to overcome the disease by removing neoplasms and lubricating them with iodine. And the second was helped by oxolinic ointment, but more concentrated (3%) than is usually used (0.25%). The tool lubricated the place after pulling out the mollusk. In both cases, treatment was started in the early stages, it lasted long enough - a total of about a year, but everything was done without surgery.
Pool infection
The easiest way for a weakened body to catch an infection in indoor pools. It is necessary to swim in them in compliance with all sanitary and hygienic standards - from taking a shower to using personal accessories. This must be adhered to despite the fact that many methods are used to treat water in the pool: chlorination, ultraviolet radiation, ozonation, and in some cases all together. In addition, there is provided a constant flow of new water (at least 50 liters per person per day). But all these measures do not guarantee the absence of infections.
Other places are no less dangerous, for example, a locker room, a pool side, handrails, a shower cabin. Contact infections, such as cutaneous fungus and molluscum contagiosum, are common here.
You can avoid infection if you follow the sanitary rules: use only your towel, walk from the locker room to the side of the pool in slippers, and immediately after bathing take a shower, for which it is recommended to use an antifungal gel.