Molluscum will go away on its own, but this can take anywhere from six months to five years. Sometimes schools or day care centers will bar entry to a child with obvious molluscum. Because it takes so long for the rash to go away on its own, children in a school or day care quandary may be candidates for more aggressive treatment.
Molluscum can be removed in a doctor’s office in a number of ways, including cryotherapy (freezing with liquid nitrogen or dry ice); scooping out the lesion using a scalpel or other instrument to get rid of both the superficial bump and the virus underneath; treating with a liquid (such as podophyllin, cantharidin, iodine, or salicylic acid) to burn or blister the area; or even tape stripping (repeatedly applying and removing adhesive tape to remove the top layer of skin). Lasers and electric needles (called electrocautery) also can be effective. Regardless of which approach is used, retreatment is usually required every four to six weeks for several months. Because the treatments themselves can be painful and leave scars, they are generally used on toddlers only when absolutely necessary.
At-home medical treatments include creams, ointments, and gels that help get rid of the underlying virus. One such treatment is tretinoin, a form of vitamin A. This is the same ingredient that is used to treat facial acne in teens and young adults and to reduce wrinkles in older patients. Other topical treatments include potassium hydroxide and imiquimod. Although these therapies are significantly more comfortable than the more invasive techniques listed above, none of them has a very impressive success rate.
Oral medications such as cimetidine also have been used to treat molluscum. Cimetidine is normally used for the treatment of stomach and intestinal ulcers. Again, the success rate with cimetidine is mixed at best.
What are the possible complications?
Molluscum can scar, especially when your child scratches the bumps and they become infected. Molluscum also can scar with treatment, as burning, lasering, scooping, and scraping can all leave marks.
When does my doctor need to be involved?
Generally speaking, molluscum does not need medical attention. However, if the number of molluscum bumps increases dramatically, or if the rash becomes itchy and you think there might be a secondary infection caused by your child’s scratching, let your doctor know. Children with eczema may have more significant cases of molluscum requiring medical intervention.