title: Clinical and Demographic Characteristics of Patients with Molluscum Contagiosum Treated at the University Dermatology Clinic Maribor in a 5-year period.
abstract: Molluscum contagiosum virus (MCV) is a common skin pathogen in both adults and children. In this prospective study, we clinically evaluated consecutive patients with molluscum contagiosum (MC) who had been examined during a 5-year period at the second-largest dermatology clinic in Slovenia and described their main demographic and clinical characteristics, concomitant diseases, and treatment success. The study included 188 patients, of which 121 (64%) were men and 67 (36%) were women. A total of 135 (72%) patients were adults, with lesions that were most commonly located in the anogenital region (98%) and were probably sexually acquired. Two adult patients were diagnosed with concurrent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Fifty-three (28%) patients were children with a mean age of 5.7 years, most commonly presenting with lesions on the torso and extremities (85%). In adults, the infection most commonly occurred in male patients, while in children it was slightly more common in female patients. At presentation, 58% of patients had more than 5 MC lesions. A total of 30% of the included children had concomitant atopic dermatitis. We did not observe an increased occurrence of MCV infection in patients with atopic dermatitis. All patients were treated with curettage of the lesions. The cure rate at the first follow-up visit after 2 months was relatively high (63%), and recurrences were not associated with the number or site of lesions at presentation or with concomitant atopic dermatitis.
authors.affiliation: Katarina Trčko, MD, Department of Dermatovenereology, University Clinical Centre Maribor, Ljubljanska 5, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia; katarina.trcko@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Katarina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Trčko
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Poljak
authors.forename: Miljenko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Križmarić
authors.forename: Jovan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Miljković
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008976:Molluscum Contagiosum / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D017524:Slovenia / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult