When treatment has resulted in the elimination of all bumps, the infection has been effectively cured and will not reappear unless the person is reinfected. Medications
For mild cases, over-the-counter wart medicines, such as salicylic acid may shorten infection duration. Daily topical application of tretinoin cream may also trigger resolution.Studies have found cantharidin to be an effective and safe treatment for removing molluscum contagiosum. This medication is usually well tolerated though mild side effects such as pain or blistering are common. There is no high-quality evidence for cimetidine. However, oral cimetidine has been used as an alternative treatment for the pediatric population as it is generally well tolerated and less invasive. Imiquimod
Imiquimod is a form of immunotherapy initially proposed as a treatment for molluscum based on promising results in small case series and clinical trials. However, two large randomized controlled trials, specifically requested by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration under the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act both demonstrated that imiquimod cream applied three times per week was no more effective than placebo cream for treating molluscum after 18 weeks of treatment in a total of 702 children aged 2–12 years. In 2007, results from those trials—which remain unpublished—were incorporated into FDA-approved prescribing information for imiquimod, which states: "Limitations of Use: Efficacy was not demonstrated for molluscum contagiosum in children aged 2–12." In 2007, the FDA also updated imiquimods label concerning safety issues raised in the two large trials and an FDA-requested pharmacokinetic study (the latter of which was published).
Laser
A 2014 systematic review of case reports and case series concluded that the limited available data suggest pulsed dye laser therapy is a safe and effective treatment for molluscum contagiosum and is generally well tolerated by children. Side effects seen with pulsed dye laser therapy included mild temporary pain at the site of therapy, bruising (lasting up to 2–3 weeks), and temporary discoloration of the treated skin (as long as 1–6 months). No cases of permanent scarring have been reported. As of 2009, however, there is no evidence for genital lesions. Prognosis
Most cases of molluscum contagiosum will clear up naturally within two years (usually within nine months). So long as the skin growths are present, there is a possibility of transmitting the infection to another person. When the growths are gone, the possibility of spreading the infection is ended.Unlike herpesviruses, which can remain inactive in the body for months or years before reappearing, molluscum contagiosum does not remain in the body when the growths are gone from the skin and will not reappear on their own. Epidemiology
As of 2010, approximately 122 million people were affected worldwide by molluscum contagiosum (1.8% of the population). See also
Acrochordons (also called skin tags—similar in appearance and grow in similar areas)
Basal-cell carcinoma
Wart (caused by the human papillomavirus; also similar in appearance to molluscum)

References
External links

Molluscum—Center for Disease Control
Virus Pathogen Database and Analysis Resource (ViPR): Poxviridae