Dermatology · Clinical photograph

Molluscum Contagiosum

Clusters of small, shiny, flesh-coloured to pink dome-shaped papules — molluscum contagiosum, a common poxvirus skin infection.

Skin with a cluster of small smooth pink dome-shaped papules, some with a central dimple
Multiple dome-shaped papules of molluscum contagiosum.Image: Mohammad2018, via Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 4.0.

Written & reviewed by: Kinase Medical Team · Last reviewed: 30 September 2026 · Editorial policy

Key features

  • Caused by the molluscum contagiosum virus, a poxvirus that replicates in epidermal cells.
  • Pearly, waxy, flesh-coloured or pink dome-shaped papules with a central pit (umbilication), usually a few millimetres across (DermNet: 1–6 mm).
  • Mainly affects young children; spread by direct skin contact, shared items, autoinoculation (scratching) and sexual contact in adults.
  • Can be very extensive, including on the face, in people with HIV infection or severe atopic dermatitis.
  • Histology shows eosinophilic intracytoplasmic inclusions — molluscum bodies.
  • Self-limiting in children: about half clear by 12 months and two-thirds by 18 months.

Differential diagnosis

Differential diagnosis of Molluscum Contagiosum
ConditionHow to tell it apart
Cutaneous cryptococcosisIn AIDS and transplant recipients its papules can look like molluscum; biopsy/culture shows encapsulated yeast instead of molluscum bodies.

How it appears in NEET PG

Usually shown as a close-up of umbilicated papules in a child or on the face of an immunocompromised adult; the question may ask for the virus family or the histological inclusion body.

Frequently asked questions

Which virus causes molluscum contagiosum?

The molluscum contagiosum virus, a member of the poxvirus family.

What are molluscum bodies?

Large eosinophilic inclusions in the cytoplasm of infected keratinocytes, seen on histology; they confirm the diagnosis when the clinical picture is unclear.

Does molluscum contagiosum need treatment?

Not always. In children most lesions clear on their own over 12–18 months; physical methods such as cryotherapy or curettage are options when treatment is wanted.

Sources

  1. DermNet — Molluscum contagiosum
  2. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine (textbook)
  3. Nelson Essentials of Pediatrics (textbook)

Keep practising

For exam preparation and medical education only — not a substitute for clinical judgement, diagnosis or treatment of any patient.