Names, Terms, and Spellings for Molluscum Contagiosum

Names, Terms, and Spellings for Molluscum Contagiosum

Molluscum contagiosum is the standard medical term for a common viral skin infection, but it is known by several other names, terms, and spellings across medical literature, languages, and popular usage.

The name "Molluscum" was coined by Thomas Bateman in 1817. He derived it from the Latin word "mollis," meaning soft, due to the characteristic soft, milky fluid that could be expressed from the lesions. The full name, Molluscum Contagiosum, was later given to the condition, emphasizing its contagious nature and the characteristic appearance of the lesions.

Primary Medical Names

• Molluscum contagiosum
  This is the internationally recognized medical term for the condition and is used in clinical and scientific contexts^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]}.
• MC
  The abbreviation "MC" and "MCV" is commonly used in medical literature and by clinicians as shorthand for molluscum contagiosum^[1][11][8].

Common and Vernacular Names

• Water warts
  "Water warts" is a widely used synonym, especially in some countries such as the USA and The Netherlands. The term references the appearance of the lesions and their association with moist environments, such as swimming pools^[1][11][10].
• Dell warts
  This is a variation on water warts emphasising the central "dell" characteristic of molluscum

"Molluscum contagiosum (MC), sometimes called water warts, is a viral infection of the skin..."^[1]

"We suggest the use of 'wpox' or 'water warts' (the latter a name already widely used in some countries) as synonyms of 'molluscum contagiosum'..."^[11]

• Wpox
  Recently proposed as a modern, non-stigmatizing alternative to "molluscum contagiosum," following WHO best practices for disease naming^[11].
• Molluscum
  Often used as a shortened, informal term, especially among patients and parents^[7][9][4].

Historical and Alternative Medical Terms

• Molluscum verrucosum
• Molluscum epitheliale
• Molluscum tumors
• Acne varioliform
• Epithelioma contagiosum
  These names appeared in older medical literature before "molluscum contagiosum" became standardized in the late 19th century^[11].

"The disease was given other names in the literature along the decades after its first description, such as ‘molluscum verrucosum’, ‘molluscum epitheliale’, ‘molluscum tumors’, ‘acne varioliform’, and ‘epithelioma contagiosum’."^[11]

Related Terms

• Mollusca
  The individual lesions or growths caused by the infection are sometimes referred to as "mollusca"^[10][5].
• Molluscum body or Henderson-Patterson bodies
  Refers to the characteristic inclusion bodies found within the lesions^[11].
• Molluscum dermatitis and eczema molluscorum
  Terms used to describe dermatitis or eczema associated with molluscum contagiosum lesions^[11].

Translations and Vernacular in Other Languages

• Verrugas de agua (Spanish)
• Verrugas d’água (Portuguese)
• Waterwratten (Dutch)
  These are direct translations of "water warts" and are used in non-English-speaking countries^[11].
• mittel gegen (German)
• dellwarzen (German)
• mięczak zakaźny (Polish)
• "...in some countries like the USA and The Netherlands, the disease is known vernacularly as ‘water warts’ (‘waterwratten’ in Dutch)... the new name could be easily rendered as ‘verrugas de agua’ in [Spanish] and ‘verrugas d’água’ in [Portuguese]."^[11]

Misspellings

• molluscum contageosum
• molluscum contagiousum
• molluscum contageosium
• molloscum contagiosum
• molloscum contageosum
• molluscum contagium
• mellescum, moloscum, muloscem, malescum, malluscum, maluscum, melescum, milluscum , montagiosum, molascum, molescum, mollascum, mollescum, molliscum, molloscum, mollosum, montagiousum, mollouscum contagiosum, mollscum contagiosum, mollscum contagiousum, mollsucum contagiosum, mollsucum contagiosum, molluacum contagiosum, mollucum contagiousum, molluscan contagiosum, molluscome contagiosum, molluscon

Pronunciation

• mo-LUS-kum kun-tay-jee-OH-sum
  This phonetic spelling is provided in patient resources to aid pronunciation^[2][9].

Summary Table

Selected Quotes

• "Molluscum contagiosum (MC), sometimes called water warts, is a viral infection of the skin..."^[1]
• "We suggest the use of 'wpox' or 'water warts' (the latter a name already widely used in some countries) as synonyms of ‘molluscum contagiosum’..."^[11]
• "The disease was given other names in the literature... such as ‘molluscum verrucosum’, ‘molluscum epitheliale’, ‘molluscum tumors’, ‘acne varioliform’, and ‘epithelioma contagiosum’."^[11]
• "The infection causes growths on the skin called Mollusca..."^[10]
• "Molluscum contagiosum (mo-LUS-kum kun-tay-jee-OH-sum) is a fairly common skin infection..."^[2]

In summary:
Molluscum contagiosum is known by a variety of names, including "water warts," "wpox," and several historical terms, with "molluscum" used informally. The terminology varies by language and context, and recent proposals aim to adopt less stigmatizing names in line with modern disease-naming guidelines^[1][11][10].

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molluscum_contagiosum
2. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/molluscum-contagiosum/symptoms-causes/syc-20375226
3. https://www.dermcoll.edu.au/atoz/molluscum-contagiosum/
4. https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/molluscum-contagiosum
5. https://patient.info/childrens-health/viral-skin-infections-leaflet/molluscum-contagiosum
6. https://dermnetnz.org/topics/molluscum-contagiosum
7. https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/molluscum-contagiosum.html
8. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/molluscum-contagiosum
9. https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/molluscum-contagiosum.html
10. https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/disease/molluscum-contagiosum.htm
11. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10916272/         
12. https://www.mollenol.com/q-a/molluscum-water-warts-dell-warts-mellescum-moloscum-muloscem/