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Molluscum contagiosum - Management
How should I treat molluscum contagiosum?
- Treatment is not usually recommended. If lesions are troublesome or considered unsightly, use simple trauma or cryotherapy, depending on the parents' wishes and the child's age:
- Squeezing (with fingernails) or piercing (orange stick) lesions may be tried, following a bath. Treatment should be limited to a few lesions at one time.
- Cryotherapy may be used in older children or adults, if the healthcare professional is experienced in the procedure.
- Eczema or inflammation can develop around lesions prior to resolution. Treatment may be required if:
- Itching is problematic; prescribe an emollient and a mild topical corticosteroid (e.g. hydrocortisone 1%).
- The skin looks infected (e.g. oedema, crusting); prescribe a topical antibiotic (e.g. fusidic acid 2%).
- For more information see Treatment of flares and Treatment of infected eczema in the CKS topic on Eczema - atopic.
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