Symptoms and treatment of molluscum contagiosum on the genitals
Molluscum contagiosum is an infectious disease that can manifest itself as a rash in the genital area, lower abdomen, pubic area and thighs. Erythematous formations have a characteristic shape, they are small, dense in consistency, with a slightly shiny surface.
The molluscum contagiosum virus, which is considered the causative agent of the disease, belongs to smallpox viruses. In its purified form, it has an oval or rectangular shape, the size of the pathogen reaches 230–330 nm. In very thin sections of infected cells, inclusion bodies are located in compartments that are formed by thin walls. The space between the partitions is occupied by nests of mature pathogen particles. The cytoplasm around the cavities resembles a honeycomb and is divided into spherical cells that are larger than the viral particles. Molluscum contagiosum has a cytopathic effect at the level of human cells, but does not multiply on tissue cultures in serial passages.
The virus is transmitted sexually or through everyday life (with household items or hygiene items when used together with a sick person). Infection can occur in the pool, children's team. The disease occurs in all countries of the world in a sporadic or epidemiological form.
Symptoms of molluscum contagiosum on the genitals
Symptoms of molluscum contagiosum on the genitals may appear 14-15 days after the virus enters the human body. A case is described when the disease first made itself felt seven months after tattooing on the skin. The first signs of molluscum contagiosum, which patients may notice on their own, are pinhead-sized nodules that have a dense texture. Over time, the rash becomes massive, and the skin does not undergo any changes.
The papules are painless, hemispherical, in some cases slightly flattened. The lesions have a healthy skin color or a pinkish tint, they can be located individually or in groups.
Patients, as a rule, do not notice any subjective sensations. In the central part of each growth there is a small depression with a hole. With slight pressure on the papule, a white flocculent mass is released, which consists of ovoid bodies of the pathogen, also called molluscs.
The pathology is chronic and lasts for months. Without treatment, molluscum contagiosum can parasitize a person's skin for two to three months and disappear spontaneously.
To make an accurate diagnosis, it is necessary to examine the patient and conduct a laboratory study. The characteristic signs of the disease are considered to be a sharp border between the nodule and healthy skin, the absence of inflammation, and an umbilical depression in the central part of the formation. A diagnostic sign is also a liquid in the form of a white gruel, flowing out when the papules are squeezed.
When examining the contents of the bubbles under a microscope, dead cells of the epidermis and many ovoid bodies can be seen.
According to the results of histological examination, individual inclusions are formed in the basal layer of the skin. Over time, increasing in size, they completely fill the cell, pushing the nucleus to the side.
In some cases, the formations can merge with each other, forming a giant mollusk, in the central part of the nodule, while ulceration is observed, similar to an epithelioma. In differential diagnosis, the contents of the papule are examined by squeezing it from the sides. Typical for molluscum contagiosum, a mass of white and mushy consistency is not typical for epithelioma. In addition, rashes caused by molluscum contagiosum must be distinguished from the symptoms of smallpox, pustular syphilis, etc.
Treatment of molluscum contagiosum on the genitals
Treatment of molluscum contagiosum in the genital area can be carried out by scraping individual formations with a special sharp spoon. The contents of the papules are squeezed out with tweezers, and the site of the manipulation after the end of the procedure is treated with iodine.
In some cases, treatment is carried out using diathermocoagulation or electrolysis. If the rash is massive, then tetracycline antibiotics are prescribed to patients.
In order to prevent molluscum contagiosum on the genitals, both sexual partners are treated. Until the symptoms of the disease are completely eliminated, patients are advised to refrain from sexual intercourse, not to use common household items, bed linen, etc. Treatment should be carried out under medical supervision until recovery.
Article author: Mochalov Pavel Alexandrovich | d. m. n. therapist
Education: Moscow Medical Institute. IM Sechenov, specialty - "General Medicine" in 1991, in 1993 "Occupational Diseases", in 1996 "Therapy".
