Common Skin Infections in Children

The document reviews four common skin infections in children, focusing on their epidemiology, clinical features, and treatment, with an emphasis on treatments supported by the best evidence. The authors conducted a search using Medline and the Cochrane Library. They discuss molluscum contagiosum, a benign viral infection caused by a poxvirus, which is rare in children under 1 year and typically occurs in the 2-5 year age group. The infection is more common in young children, those who swim or bathe together, and immunosuppressed individuals. Molluscum contagiosum presents as multiple dome-shaped pearly or flesh-colored papules with a central depression, usually on the trunk and flexural areas. In immunocompetent patients, lesions may persist for six to eight weeks, with a mean duration of at least eight months due to autoinoculation. Resolution is often preceded by inflammation, and uncomplicated lesions heal without scarring.