• Maria Bandeira de Melo Paiva Seize, Mayra Ianhez, and Silmara da Costa Pereira Cestari.
• Federal University of Sao Paulo, Brasil. maria.p.seize@hotmail.com
• An Bras Dermatol. 2011 Jul 1; 86 (4): 663-8.

BackgroundAlthough no scientific evidence has yet been published, it is widely understood that molluscum contagiosum tends to be more common and more intense in patients with atopic dermatitis. This lack of evidence led to the development of the present study.ObjectivesTo evaluate the prevalence of the association between atopic dermatitis and molluscum contagiosum; to evaluate whether molluscum contagiosum is more likely to be recurrent and/or disseminated in patients with atopic dermatitis and whether the occurrence of eczema surrounding the molluscum contagiosum lesions, pruritus and/or infection is more prevalent in these patients compared to patients without atopic dermatitis.MethodsA total of 284 children of both sexes with a diagnosis of molluscum contagiosum and/or atopic dermatitis were evaluated.ResultsOnly 13.4% of the patients had both conditions. The number of anatomical areas affected by molluscum contagiosum and the occurrence of surrounding eczema and pruritus was greater in the patients who also had atopic dermatitis. There was no statistically significant difference in the frequency of secondary infection associated with the molluscum contagiosum lesions between the patients who had atopic dermatitis and those who did not.ConclusionThe prevalence of atopic dermatitis associated with molluscum contagiosum was low. There was no statistically significant difference in the recurrence rates associated with molluscum contagiosum or in the number of lesions between the patients who had atopic dermatitis and those who did not. The number of anatomical areas affected by the molluscum contagiosum lesions and the presence of surrounding eczema and pruritus were higher in the patients with atopic dermatitis. There was no statistically significant difference in the occurrence of secondary bacterial infection between the groups with and without atopic dermatitis.

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