10.5826/dpc.1302a106
text/xml
2160-9381
2763
en
Vincenzo Piccolo
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Dermatology Practical & Conceptual
Cryotherapy Unmasks Umbilication in Molluscum Contagiosum
Text.Serial.Journal
https://dpcj.org/index.php/dpc
Image Letter
2023-04-29
2022-08-13
2023-04-29
2023-06-05
e2023106
Dermatol Pract Concept
Vincenzo Piccolo
2023/04/29
10.5826/dpc.1302a106
e2023106
Dermatology Unit, University of Campania, Naples, Italy
2160-9381
en
e2023106
Piccolo V. Update on Dermoscopy and Infectious Skin Diseases. Dermatol Pract Concept. 2019;10:e2020003.
Cryotherapy Unmasks Umbilication in Molluscum Contagiosum
https://dpcj.org/index.php/dpc/article/download/2763/2100
                      Cryotherapy Unmasks Umbilication
                          in Molluscum Contagiosum
   Camilo Arias-Rodriguez1, Julia Nowowiejska2, Giuseppe Argenziano3, Vincenzo Piccolo3


1 Department of Dermatology, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Medellín, Colombia
2 Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
3 Dermatology Unit, University of Campania, Naples, Italy



Citation: Arias-Rodriguez C, Nowowiejska J, Argenziano G, Piccolo V. Cryotherapy Unmasks Umbilication in Molluscum Contagiosum.
Dermatol Pract Concept. 2023;13(2):e2023106. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5826/dpc.1302a106
Accepted: September 17, 2022; Published: April 2023
Copyright: ©2023 Arias-Rodriguez et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial License (BY-NC-4.0), https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/, which permits unrestricted
noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original authors and source are credited.
Funding: None.
Competing Interests: None.
Authorship: All authors have contributed significantly to this publication.
Corresponding Author: Julia Nowowiejska, MD, PhD, Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Medical University of Bialystok,
Poland. Tel: +48857409572 E-mail: julia.nowowiejska@umb.edu.pl




Case Presentation                                                        findings. What else can aid diagnosis in these cases, apart
                                                                         from histopathological examination?
Molluscum contagiosum (MC) is a viral skin disease
caused by the Molluscum contagiosum virus [1]. The virus
                                                                         Teaching Point
is characterized by high infectious potential and may be
transmitted via direct contact, using fomites, or due to auto-           Cryotherapy is a practical and cost-effective solution to this
inoculation [1]. Clinically, MC usually manifests as multiple            problem. After administration of a short cycle of liquid nitrogen
pearl-whitish shiny papules with the umbilicated center, al-             to a lesion with an inconspicuous umbilicated center, the con-
though solitary lesions may be observed [1]. On dermoscopy,              cavity appears instantly, confirming the diagnosis of molluscum
typical features can be seen, mainly a central white-yellowish           contagiosum (Figure 1B). Cryotherapy is widely available in
amorphous areas, surrounded by blurry crowned vessels                    every dermatology department, moreover, it is a non-invasive
on the periphery [2]. Solitary lesions represent a clinical              technique and it does not require much time to perform or to
challenge, especially in cases where umbilication is not ev-             recover after the procedure. Hence, in doubtful monolesional
ident (Figure 1A), and in cases with confusing dermoscopic               non-umbilicated cases, it improves the diagnostic efficacy.




Image Letter | Dermatol Pract Concept. 2023;13(2):e2023106                                                                              1
    Figure 1. Molluscum contagiosum. (A) A solitary, non-umbilicated lesion before administration of treatment. (B) On the right:
    umbilicated center appears after administration of cryotherapy.




References                                                              Dermatol. 2019;12:373–381. DOI: 10.2147/CCID.S187224.
                                                                        PMID: 31239742. PMCID: PMC6553952.
1. Meza-Romero R, Navarrete-Dechent C, Downey C. Molluscum           2. Piccolo V. Update on Dermoscopy and Infectious Skin Diseases.
   contagiosum: an update and review of new perspectives in             Dermatol Pract Concept. 2019;10:e2020003. DOI: 10.5826
   etiology, diagnosis, and treatment. Clin Cosmet Investig             /dpc.1001a03. PMID: 31921490 PMCID: PMC6936624.




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