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Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2007;133(2):201.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Diagnosis: Molluscum contagiosum (MC)

Molluscum contagiosum is a virally induced epithelial hyperplasia caused by the MC virus (MCV), which is a large, double-stranded DNA virus and the most common poxviral pathogen that infects humans.^1-2 It replicates and lives in the cytoplasm of the epidermal cells.³ This common benign skin infection primarily affects children. It also affects sexually active adults and some immune-suppressed patient populations.^{2, 4} However, our patient was an immunocompetent adult. The reason for the predominance of MC in children remains unknown.⁵

Humans are the only host for MCV, the pathogenesis of which is unclear because it cannot be grown in cell cultures or animal models.² Molluscum contagiosum virus infections occur worldwide but are most prevalent in warm, moist climates and in populations with imperfect personal hygiene.⁴ Epidemiologic studies show incidence rates ranging from 2% to 10% of the population.³ The virus is transmitted primarily by skin-to-skin contact,³ by contact with a fomite (eg, . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2007;133(2):199.
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