Definition: A disease of the skin and mucous membranes caused by a poxvirus (molluscum contagiosum virus, MCV) infection. It is characterized by small dome-shaped papules (bumps) on the face, upper trunk, or extremities. The disease most frequently occurs in children and adults with impaired immune response. It is transmitted from person to person by direct contact. It is also autoinoculable (i.e., a secondary infection produced by contact with a lesion on one's own body). In persons living with HIV, molluscum contagiosum is often a progressive disease, resistant to treatment. When CD4+ cells fall below 200, the lesions tend to proliferate and spread.
Also Known As: Molluscum
