Molluscum contagiosum and viral warts

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Target exams

Red flags

• extensive, giant or confluent molluscum, or onset in early infancy, suggesting underlying immunodeficiency such as HIV or DOCK8
• warts that are rapidly growing, bleeding, ulcerated or fixed, which may be verrucous or squamous cell carcinoma rather than a wart — especially in an immunosuppressed child
• a recalcitrant periungual or plantar lesion that resists 12 weeks of standard therapy and looks atypical
• ano-genital molluscum or warts whose distribution or history raises safeguarding concern
• secondary bacterial infection with spreading cellulitis or impetiginisation around picked lesions

Life stages

Care settings

Clinical exam formats

Board mappings

• recognise and manage molluscum contagiosum and viral warts in children
• explain expectant versus active treatment
• apply stepwise topical and physical therapy
• recognise immunodeficiency in atypical disease
• interpret molluscum and wart evidence and trial limitations
• high-yield: molluscum morphology and poxvirus, HPV types, stepwise treatment ladder, expectant management, red flags for immunodeficiency
• short-case assessment of a child with molluscum or viral warts and parental counselling
• common skin infections — molluscum contagiosum and viral warts: diagnosis and management
• molluscum (poxvirus, umbilicated papule) and warts (HPV types, koilocytes); conservative-first management
• assess and counsel the parents of a child with molluscum or warts
• molluscum contagiosum and viral warts — diagnosis and management
• milestone: diagnoses clinically, defaults to conservative care, applies stepwise therapy, recognises immunodeficiency red flags
• common paediatric dermatology — molluscum and warts: recognise, counsel and manage