Hospital successfully operates on giant molluscum of 4-yr-old girl

Pune: Viral and contagious infections spread rapidly and containing them, especially in children, can be a task. The infections can spread rapidly or the corrective procedure can be costly. However, a team of doctors at city-based Columbia Asia Hospital here successfully operated on a giant molluscum on a four-year-old girl to cure several of them through a procedure that is both effective and less costly.

Molluscum contagiosum is a common viral skin infection producing bumps among children who might have come in contact with an infected person or a contaminated object. 

Children aged between 1 and 10, who live in tropical climates, are prone to it. Though painless, the small bumps might itch and scratched bumps can spread the infection to surrounding skin.

The bumps usually disappear on their own but in rare cases, they need to be removed using medication or other procedures.

Dr Kusumika Kanak, Consultant Dermatosurgery at the hospital who led the team of seven specialists, said that some of the molluscum on the child were very large and drooping the upper and lower eyelids, almost disfiguring the face.

“The child might have received the infection from a cousin who had similar complaints. The parents tried various treatments from ayurveda, homoeopathy to home remedies but financial constraints prevented them from going ahead with allopathy treatment. Such big molluscum are seen in people with compromised immunity but blood reports ruled out any immunocompromised status,” said Dr Kanak.

She further added that doctors faced a twin challenge of avoiding adverse facial cosmetics and cost of treatment.

“Laser and other modalities would have been expensive. Since traditional means required needling the molluscum, which was difficult in this case considering the size, we planned a newer modality of treatment termed intralesional radiofrequency and performed it under general anaesthesia. This molluscum was not reachable through medication as they were around eyes and very big in size hence surgery was necessary to get rid of the infection without causing injury to eyes and without any cosmetic disfigurement,” said Dr Kanak.

She further added that the paediatricians and ophthalmologist took care of patient pre and post-operative.

“We performed the surgery with minimal bleeding and least cosmetic disfigurement. All the lesions around the eyes and face were treated. The patient was discharged the same day after observation and recovered well in a span of two weeks with almost no scarring. The intralesional radiofrequency is a new modality of treatment but proves to be an effective method, especially in this case where best results through a low-cost therapy were expected. Large keloids, lymphangioma circumscriptum, sebaceous adenoma and many more can be treated by intralesional radiofrequency,” said Dr Kusumika Kanak.

Dr Kusumika Kanak was assisted by anesthesiologist Dr Sunil Borade.