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| ARTICLES |
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| Year : 1985 | Volume
: 33
| Issue : 4 | Page : 263-265 |
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Unusual cases of molluscum contagiosum of eye
VA Rao, RK Baskaran, M Mathew Krishnan
Department of Ophthalmology, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Pondicherry, India
Correspondence Address:
V A Rao
Department of Ophthalmology, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Pondicherry
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
PMID: 3842837 
How to cite this article:
Rao V A, Baskaran R K, Krishnan M M. Unusual cases of molluscum contagiosum of eye. Indian J Ophthalmol 1985;33:263-5 |
Molluscum contagiosum is a typical skin disease of viral etiology in which tumourlike nodules with a flattened umbilicated top are found in various parts of the body. Initially they are firm and solid, but gradually they soften when a waxy-looking material exudes out of them[1]. Molluscum is fairly common in the skin of the lids especially in children. It can occur as a solitary or multiple nodules on the lid and may vary in size from 0.5 mm to a lesion that covers the lid completely[2]. A solitary molluscum frequently cause unilateral refractive conjunctivitis[3],[4]. Rarely it may present as a conjunctival nodule[5], or corneal nodules[6],[7]. The present paper describes 8 cases of unusual presentation of molluscum contagiosum of eye in children.
| MATERIALS, METHODS AND OBSERVATIONS | |  |
8 cases of molluscum contagiosum in children who attended the JIPMER Hospital in the past 3 years were presented with variations in the clinical picture [Table - 1]. The diagnosis in all these cases were confirmed by histopathological examination after excision.
| Discussion | | |
Molluscum contagiosum occurs more commonly in children[1]. The youngest case report was of a six-months old baby[3]. Three of our patients were below 2 years of age and the youngest age in this series was a 8 months old baby.
Molluscum contagiosum can occur as a solitary nodule on the lid/lid margin or it may be multiple of varying size[2]. In 3 of our cases there were 2 nodules while in the other cases it was a single nodule. Molluscum contagiosum usually presents as a small nodule less than 5 mm. size, but very rarely cases with giant nodules are reported in literature[2],[9]. Three of our cases were of more than 1 cm. in size and they were multiple [Figure - 1].
In the eye the usual sites of involvement of molluscum contagiosum are the upper lid, the lower lid and the lid margin. In our cases the lesions appeared at these usual sites, but in one case it was at the lateral canthus [Figure - 2]A which is a very rare site of involvement[6]. In four cases it was at the upper lid margin producing keratoconjunctivities, comparable to the case reported by Balakrishnan[3].
Typical molluscum lesions are described as globular nodules with a flattened umbilicated top[6]. In our series, in only one case there were two small umbilicated nodules, while other cases showed variable clinical presentation. One case presented as a fungating mass clinically appearing as granuloma pyogenicum while in other case it presented as a chalazion extending posteriorly toward the tarsal plate. One case presented as a lid abscess near the lateral canthus. [Figure - 2]C
As secondary conjunctivitis is the more typical clinical sequel to molluscum contagiosum occuring on the lid margins. If no treatment is given, corneal complications may occur[1],[3]. In our series, four cases of molluscum contagiosum occuring on the lid margin presented with keratoconjunctivitis. [Figure - 2]B.
| Summary | | |
Eight cases of molluscum contagiosum occurring in children below the age of 9 years, 3 of which were of giant size are reported with special emphasis on the variable clinical presentation, size and distribution.
| References | | |
| 1. | Duke-Elder S., 1952, Text book of Ophthalmology, Vol. V. London, Kimpton, pp. 4892-4894.  |
| 2. | V. Meer Maastricht, BCJ, 1950, Amer. J. Ophthalmol, 33 : 965-967. |
| 3. | Balakrishnan, E 1964, J. All India Ophthalmol, Soc., 12: 173-175, |
| 4. | Curtin, B.J., and Theodore, F.H., 1955, Amer J. Ophthalmol , 39 : 302-307. |
| 5. | Mathur, S.P., 1960, Brit. J. Ophthalmol., 44 572-573. |
| 6. | Quill, T.H., 1940, Proc. Mayo Clinic, 15: 139-142. |
| 7. | Sysi, R., 1941, Acta Ophthalmol. 19: 25-27. |
| 8. | Vannas, S., Lapinleima, K., 1967, Acta Ophthalmol., 45 : 314-320. |
| 9. | Sood, G.C., Shashi Kapoor, Mahableshwar, 1975, J. Paed. Ophthalmol., Vol. 12: 4 :267-269. |
[Figure - 1], [Figure - 2]
[Table - 1]
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