Forecast
The prognosis of Dell’s warts is generally favourable: they usually disappear on their own after a certain period of time, but otherwise they always regress under appropriate therapy. However, this only applies to a limited extent to patients with a weakened immune system. In addition, once an infection with the molluscum contagiosum virus has occurred (whether with or without therapy), it does not protect one from becoming infected again, which is why recurrences can often occur in the course of life.
Prophylaxis
There are several methods to prevent an infestation with Dell’s warts. First of all, there is a general hygienic behaviour, which means that you should wash your hands regularly and make sure you use your own towels or clothes. In addition, you should never touch dell’s warts with your bare finger (no matter if they are on another person, because you could get infected, or if they are on your own body, because you could then spread them to other parts of the skin).
Furthermore, condoms should be used during sexual intercourse. Although these do not completely prevent the risk of infection, they do significantly reduce the risk. Dell’s warts (technical term: molluscs) can be observed both in children and adults.
As a rule, however, cases of molluscs are much more common in children. In children, molluscic warts typically appear as single skin-coloured or reddish elevations, which are usually the head of a pin. However, molluscic warts can occur more frequently in children in a particular region of the body.
Typically, the elevations have a characteristic central depression. The reason why molluscic warts can be observed particularly frequently in children is because they are not very hygienic. The transmission of the responsible virus (molluscipox virus) occurs, for example, through the sharing of towels or clothing.
Therefore, kindergartens, schools and day-care centres are the ideal place of transmission for Dellwarts. The pathogen also penetrates softened skin areas particularly well. Regular visits to swimming pools are therefore a clear risk factor for children.
A child suffering from chronic skin diseases also has an increased risk of developing molluscicles. In addition, an immune-stable child is generally considered to be significantly less at risk. Only a few days to months after the virus has penetrated the skin barrier the first molluscicles appear.
The diagnosis of molluscicles in children follows the same principles as in adults. Basically, it is a pure gaze diagnosis. The doctor can only make the diagnosis “molluscicles” by inspecting the affected skin areas.
In a child, the face, neck, eyelids, genital area and armpits are mainly affected. An immunocompetent child who suffers from deell’s warts does not need immediate treatment in most cases. In the majority of affected, otherwise healthy, children, dell’s warts regress after a few months without medical intervention (spontaneous healing).
However, this long healing time can lead to aesthetic problems. Often the affected child is ashamed of the presence of the molluscicles, is teased and begins to avoid swimming pool visits. In the long run this can even lead to psychological problems.
In addition, the parents of an affected child must be aware that molluscum contagions are highly contagious and timely removal minimizes the risk of transmission. Should a quick therapy be necessary, there are various procedures available. In most cases, dell’s warts are removed from the child by a dermatologist.
In order to make the procedure as painless as possible, the affected skin area can be anaesthetised locally. For this purpose, anaesthetic skin creams or gels are used for the child. Before the actual treatment can begin, the anaesthetic must act on the child’s skin surface for at least one hour.
In this way the removal of molluscs is particularly gentle for the child. After the anaesthetic has been applied to the treatment area, the surface of the molluscum contagiosum is thoroughly disinfected. Then the actual removal of the molluscicles is carried out with the help of a sharp spoon or fine tweezers.
After the removal of the molluscicles in the child it is very important to disinfect the affected skin area again. In this way, the viruses that are still present cannot be transferred to other parts of the body and thus promote the development of new molluscicles. A further treatment method, especially suitable for children, is the freezing of the molluscicles.
The treating dermatologist exposes the molluscum contagiosum to liquid nitrogen over a short period of time (cryotherapy). When the wart freezes, the infected tissue dies and grows back into healthy tissue from below. Icing of the molluscum contagiosum is usually not particularly unpleasant for the child or the affected person.
Parents of an affected child can also carry out treatment of the dell’s warts themselves from home. The molluscicles should be dabbed twice a day with a special potassium hydroxide solution until a clear inflammatory reaction develops. Based on this inflammatory reaction, the molluscicles usually heal completely in the child.
Especially in children, the prevention of molluscicles is extremely difficult. A child is in constant contact with peers. In addition, children are usually very active, sweat, go to the swimming pool and thus offer the responsible viruses an ideal entry point into the skin.
Parents should, however, make sure that each child uses its own towel and that these are not swapped among themselves. Regular disinfection of the hands can naturally reduce the risk of transmission, but transmission cannot be completely ruled out. It should also be ensured that a child who already suffers from genital warts never touches them with his fingers and then touches other parts of the body or even other children.