title: Molluscum contagiosum-induced comedo and secondary abscess formation.
abstract: A 9-year-old boy had recurrent formation of fluctuating abscesses of the forearms, leading to surgical incisions. Histopathologic examinations revealed that the etiologic agent was a molluscum virus in the lower portion of a pilosebaceous follicle, which formed a comedo. The comedones developed into pustular and cystic lesions after the boy attempted to squeeze out the contents. Two different reaction patterns to molluscum contagiosum seem to be present: a lymphocyte-mediated immunologic reaction in normally regressing lesions, and an acute inflammatory reaction due to disruption of infected epidermal tissue into the dermis, as seen in this patient.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Odense University Hospital, Denmark.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Brandrup
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Asschenfeldt
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery; D001706:Biopsy; D002648:Child; D005542:Forearm; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008976:Molluscum Contagiosum / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D008977:Molluscum contagiosum virus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification