Molluscum Contagiosum Treatment Singapore | HIV PEP
Molluscum Contagiosum Treatment in Singapore: Molluscum contagiosum is a skin infection caused by a virus. The infection causes bumps on the upper layers of the skin surface. It is easily transmitted.
Treatment of molluscum contagiosum
Most molluscum contagiosum patients do not need treatment, as the disease is usually self-limiting. Molluscum contagiosum in Singapore is often monitored rather than treated. The lesions heal and disappear without causing scarring in normal people. In children, treatment procedures that may cause pain are generally avoided, though a doctor may prescribe topical medications. In younger children, cimetidine (an oral medication) is being prescribed as an alternative to painful procedures.
For adults, minor surgical procedures can remove the lesions. In certain situations, the benefits of this treatment may outweigh the risks, depending on factors such as any underlying medical problem(s), age, number of lesions, and the location. The aim of treatment is to prevent transmission and autoinoculation of the virus. Some patients opt for treatment due to cosmetic concerns and to avoid psychological hardships associated with persistent lesions.
Methods for removing the lesions include freezing (cryotherapy), which uses liquid nitrogen to destroy the lesion, or scraping (curettage), which uses a small scraping instrument to remove the lesion.
Treatment is not effective in individuals with a weakened immune system, and achievement of long-term treatment response is highly unlikely in these patients. Depending on the treatment, the benefits and side effects may vary. Some of the common side effects of surgical treatment of molluscum contagiosum are blistering, pain, skin irritation, scarring and skin pigmentation changes.
There are also topical medications that may be used for molluscum contagiosum. These include imiquimod cream, trichloroacetic acid, tretinoin cream, salicylic acid, cantharidin, and potassium hydroxide.
In healthy individuals, lesions will disappear within 6-18 months, although it may take up to four years. However, in individuals with impaired immune function, treatment failures are common and the lesions usually don’t disappear completely. In such individuals, new lesion may continue to form as a result of autoinoculation. Antiviral medications, such as zidovudine, cidofovir, ritonavir, are sometimes used to treat severe cases of molluscum contagiosum in those with immune dysfunction. In such patients, treatment is challenging and complete resolution is impossible; control of the illness is the goal. In healthy people, the overall treatment outcomes are excellent.