GENERALIZED MOLLUSCA CONTAGIOSA IN AN AFR ICAN CHILD WITH AIDS

A 12-year-old girl from Zaire with Aids (CDC: P2 Dl)presented with a g eneralized molluscum contagiosum infection. She had suffered from syst emic cryptococcosis and from cryptosporidiosis several months before a dmission. While molluscum contagiosum infection is usually a self-limi ting disease in immunocompetent persons, a fulminant appearance and pe rsistence of giant mollusca occurs with advanced immunodeficiency. His tological and immuno-histological examinations showed a severe diminut ion of Langerhans and T cell populations that might enhance the dissem ination of the infection. Molluscum-like lesions of cryptococci have b een described, and cutaneous cryptococcosis is the main condition to b e considered in the differential diagnosis. Further differential diagn oses should include American and African histoplasmosis, and the cutan eous manifestations of mycobacterial infections, of toxoplasmosis and of Pneumocystis carinii infection.