Details - Public Health Image Library(PHIL)

ID#:

16970

Caption:

This patient presented to a clinical setting with pearly papules on the penile shaft, characteristic of the viral infection, molluscum contagiosum. Though difficult to see due to their small size, these papules were umbilicated, which means that they had a depressed center. Molluscum contagiosum is a benign superficial skin disease caused by a poxvirus. It is characterized by small, pearly papules with a central depression, whose core may be expressed, producing a white cheesy material. The lesions average 2-5mm in size, and are usually painless, but may become inflamed, red, and swollen. Molluscum contagiosum is a self-limited infection, and the papules usually disappear spontaneously within 6-12months, but may take as long as 4-years to resolve.

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Content Provider(s):

CDC/ Susan Lindsley

Creation Date:

1973

Photo Credit:

Links:

Categories:

CDC Organization