# Molluscum Contagiosum - Category: infectious - Review status: reviewed (every claim checked against a document named on this page) - Sources: Molluscum Contagiosum - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf (NBK441898), Treatment / Management, which lists the agent among topical therapies - "cantharidin (now available as VP-102), potassium hydroxide, podophyllotoxin, and the newly Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved berdazimer gel (Zelsuvmi)" - and states neither a strength nor an application schedule. The 5% cutaneous solution twice daily to a maximum of 14 days is the MolluDab product instruction; MolluDab is a CE-marked device rather than a licensed medicine and has no SmPC in this corpus. · BAD Guidelines for Molluscum Contagiosum 2017 · Salactol Collodion (salicylic acid 16.7% + lactic acid 16.7%) SmPC sections 4.2-4.3 (eMC product 3766) - Verified date: 2026-08 ## Verified against - Molluscum Contagiosum - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf (NBK441898), Treatment / Management, which lists the agent among topical therapies - "cantharidin (now available as VP-102), potassium hydroxide, podophyllotoxin, and the newly Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved berdazimer gel (Zelsuvmi)" - and states neither a strength nor an application schedule. The 5% cutaneous solution twice daily to a maximum of 14 days is the MolluDab product instruction; MolluDab is a CE-marked device rather than a licensed medicine and has no SmPC in this corpus. - Salactol Collodion (salicylic acid 16.7% + lactic acid 16.7%) SmPC sections 4.2-4.3 (eMC product 3766) ## Treatment metadata - Salicylic acid — topical - Potassium hydroxide — topical ## Complete treatment card ```text MOLLUSCUM CONTAGIOSUM Sources: Molluscum Contagiosum - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf (NBK441898), Treatment / Management, which lists the agent among topical therapies - "cantharidin (now available as VP-102), potassium hydroxide, podophyllotoxin, and the newly Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved berdazimer gel (Zelsuvmi)" - and states neither a strength nor an application schedule. The 5% cutaneous solution twice daily to a maximum of 14 days is the MolluDab product instruction; MolluDab is a CE-marked device rather than a licensed medicine and has no SmPC in this corpus. · BAD Guidelines for Molluscum Contagiosum 2017 · Salactol Collodion (salicylic acid 16.7% + lactic acid 16.7%) SmPC sections 4.2-4.3 (eMC product 3766) Review status: REVIEWED against 2 sources listed above (2026-08) IS IT THIS? - reference only, to read alongside your own examination SYMPTOMS - what the patient reports (2) - Small, painless skin bumps appear gradually over weeks to months, sometimes with mild itch or local irritation [itching] - Close skin contact with another child, contact sports, or a history of eczema raises the risk of infection and how many lesions form SIGNS - what you find (5) - Flesh-coloured, dome-shaped papules with a central dimple, typically 2 to 5 mm across [papules] - Children usually have 10 to 20 lesions, occasionally over 100 in severe cases - In sexually active teens and adults, lesions favour the genital, perineal, and lower abdominal areas rather than the trunk and face seen in children - An itchy, scaly, or scratched patch near or between lesions signals the immune system starting to clear them and is not a bacterial superinfection [itching · scaling] - With significant immune suppression, lesions can exceed 10 to 15 mm across, turn up in unusual sites like the eyelids, and persist for a long time TESTS (6) - It is a clinical diagnosis that usually needs no lab confirmation - Lab testing is reserved for atypical presentations, immunocompromised patients, or an unclear diagnosis - Skin biopsy or fine-needle aspiration can confirm the diagnosis by finding Henderson-Paterson bodies - A PCR test for viral DNA can tell the two viral subtypes apart - Imaging is not needed since the disease stays confined to the epidermis - Bacterial cultures are rarely needed, only if superinfection is clinically suspected IF NOT THIS - what else fits (6) - Common warts can look similar but usually lack the central dimple and have a rougher surface - Folliculitis lesions, unlike molluscum, tend to be red and tender and may show a central hair - Keratosis pilaris and milia both lack the central dimple that marks out molluscum - Genital warts lack a central dimple and tend to be larger or more irregular than molluscum - In immunocompromised patients, similar lesions can mimic a basal cell carcinoma or a fungal infection such as cryptococcosis, so persistent or fast-growing lesions need a biopsy - Mpox and other orthopoxvirus infections can also cause dimpled papules, usually with fever, muscle aches, and swollen glands Source StatPearls "Molluscum Contagiosum" - disease-level clinical article Status traced to the source above 1. SALICYLIC ACID [1st line] Adult Apply 10-12% solution carefully to lesion center once daily at night x 2-4 weeks Peds Apply carefully onto lesion only, avoiding surrounding normal skin Source Salactol Collodion (salicylic acid 16.7% + lactic acid 16.7%) SmPC sections 4.2-4.3 (eMC product 3766) Why Keratolytic that softens and dissolves the central keratin plug of molluscum lesions to hasten clearance; used when watchful waiting, the preferred first approach, is not acceptable to the patient or lesions persist. Caution Watchful waiting is preferred initial approach as lesions resolve spontaneously within 6-18 months. Protect surrounding normal skin with soft paraffin before applying keratolytic. Avoid squeezing or scratching lesions to prevent autoinoculation and scarring. Not on or near the face, in skin folds, or on the anogenital area - which is where much molluscum actually sits. If the lesions are there, this is the wrong treatment, not a treatment to apply carefully. Not for a diabetic foot, and not where circulation to the foot is poor. The label rules both out flatly. A keratolytic on skin that heals badly is how a wart becomes an ulcer. Egypt SALICYLIC ACID COLLODION 12% PAINT B.P.2001 UNIPHARMA CO. > UNIPHARMA 3.00 EGP -> ? different route - not topical SALICYLIC ACID SOAP (WEISER) 45 GM WEISER 15.00 EGP -> ? different route - not topical 2. POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE [2nd line] Adult Apply 5% cutaneous solution twice daily precisely to umbilicated papules until inflammation occurs (max 14 days) - until inflammation occurs (max 14 days) Peds Apply twice daily to lesions under adult supervision; stop application once lesion becomes inflamed Source Molluscum Contagiosum - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf (NBK441898), Treatment / Management, which lists the agent among topical therapies - "cantharidin (now available as VP-102), potassium hydroxide, podophyllotoxin, and the newly Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved berdazimer gel (Zelsuvmi)" - and states neither a strength nor an application schedule. The 5% cutaneous solution twice daily to a maximum of 14 days is the MolluDab product instruction; MolluDab is a CE-marked device rather than a licensed medicine and has no SmPC in this corpus. Why Topical alkaline solution induces local inflammatory response leading to clearance. Caution CONTRAINDICATED in children under 2 years; do NOT apply to facial, periorbital, mucosal, or genital lesions (risk of severe chemical burn and permanent scarring). Causes localized erythema and stinging which signals immune reaction and resolution; stop application once local inflammation appears. Apply strictly to the central umbilication, protecting surrounding healthy skin. Egypt no Egyptian brand matched - prescribe by generic name Prices are indicative (dataset snapshot 2026-06); verify with the pharmacy. ``` --- Dawaa Reference is a reference for prescribers, not a medical device, and does not replace clinical judgement. [Privacy policy](/privacy)