TABLE 3.
Available treatment options for molluscum contagiosum
| TREATMENT | ADMINISTRATION | NOTES |
|---|---|---|
| Bichloracetic acid | Clinician | Topical; may cause burning and scarring; less effective |
| Cantharidin | Clinician | Topical; may be used in adults and children; a drug-device combination that contains pharmaceutical grade cantharidin for topical treatment of MC lesions (YCANTH™, Verrica Pharmaceuticals, West Chester, Pennsylvania) only FDA-approved MC treatment to date |
| Cimetidine | Patient | Prescription required; oral medication; may be beneficial in patients with atopic dermatitis or who have lesions covering most of the body |
| Cryotherapy | Clinician | Device; painful so may not be a good option for young children or patients with many lesions covering the body |
| Curettage | Clinician | Device; can be used in older children, teens, and adults |
| Glycolic acid | Clinician | Topical; may cause burning and scarring; less effective |
| Lactic acid | Clinician | Topical; may cause burning and scarring; less effective |
| Imiquimod cream | Patient | Topical; prescription required; not recommended for young children |
| Podophyllotoxin cream | Patient | Topical; prescription required; not recommended for pregnant women |
| Potassium hydroxide 10–20% | Patient | Topical; data limited; may cause stinging, burning and dyschromia; once or twice daily over varying durations reported |
| Pulsed dye laser (PDL) | Clinician | Device; good option for patients with many lesions; recommended for patients with difficult-to-treat molluscum (e.g., patients with AIDS); may cause temporary hyper- or hypopigmentation in skin of color; can be expensive |
| Salicylic acid | Patient | Topical; OTC |
| Sinecatechin | Patient | Topical; prescription required |
| Tretinoin | Patient | Topical; prescription required |
| Trichloroacetic acid peel | Clinician | Topical; may cause burning and scarring; less effective |
| Scalpel or forcep to remove the core | Clinician | Device; painful, so may not be a good option for children or patients with many lesions; potential risk of spreading infection if not done properly |
CDC: United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; MC: molluscum contagiosum; OTC: over the counter
Source: American Academy of Dermatology. Molluscum contagiosum: diagnosis and treatment. https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/a-z/molluscum-contagiosum-treatment. Accessed 27 Aug 2021.