Do I Have Molluscum Contagiosum?

Do you have bumps on your skin that are raised, round and flesh colored?

Do you have small bumps (typically under about 1/4 inch (smaller than 6 millimeters) in diameter)?

Do you have bumps that have a small indentation (umbilication) or dot at the top near the center?

Do you have bumps that contain white cheesy material?

Do you have painless bumps?

Does your bumps look like pearls (they have a waxy, shiny look)?

Do you have bumps that may be red or swollen?

Do you feel itching in the affected area?

Have you noticed that bumps on your skin can be easily removed by scratching or rubbing?

Do you have bumps on your face, neck, armpits, arms, behind your knees, groin, genitals or tops of your hands?

Do you have a bump on your eyelid that look like a water blister?

Do you have a cluster of large bumps?

Do your bumps eventually turn red and look like pimples?

Has anyone close to you had similar lesions?

Based on your answers it is unlikely that you have molluscum contagiosum. Molluscum contagiosum is a viral infection of the skin. It is relatively common in children and people with the weak immune system. If molluscum contagiosum appears on the genitals in otherwise healthy adults, it is considered a sexually transmitted disease. Molluscum contagiosum can be also spread by direct contact with an infected person or by sharing infected items (towels, bath sponges or clothes). The molluscum contagiosum virus lives only in the superficial layer of the skin, does not circulate in the body, so it cannot be spread by sneezing or coughing.

Based on your answers there is a possibility that you have molluscum contagiosum. Molluscum contagiosum is a skin infection caused by a virus. The virus can be spread by direct physical or sexual contact with an infected person or contact with contaminated objects. You can also scratch the bumps on your skin and spread the virus to the surrounding area. Symptoms may appear within 2 weeks to as much as 6 months after being infected. Molluscum is usually diagnosed based on its distinctive clinical appearance. In many cases, treatment for molluscum is unnecessary; skin changes may disappear on their own in 6 to 12 months.

Based on your answers there is a high possibility that you have molluscum contagiosum. Molluscum contagiosum is a viral skin infection. The main symptoms are small, hard, umbilicated bumps on your skin. These bumps are called molluscae and can appear anywhere on your body, alone or in groups. You should see your doctor about your symptoms.