Molluscum contagiosum is a popular topic because the lesion has very characteristic appearance. The opening question may be: " This is the lesion taken from a patient with recurrent (follicular) conjunctivitis. What can you see?"

The features to look for are:

• epidermis acanthosis (hyperplasia) which grows into the dermis to form multiple lobule
• intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies which are eosinophilic (stianed pink with H & E) at the base but becomes more basophilic (stained blue with H & E) at the superficial layer
• central crater into which the inclusion bodies discharge their content

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Low magnification H & E Lobules of epidermis with inclusion bodies. Note the inclusion bodies are pinker at the base and become progressively darker and bluish towards the crater.

High magnification H & E Cross section of a molluscum contagiosum  showing nestles of inclusion bodies.

Common questions in the viva:

• What are the clinical features of molluscum contagiosum?
• How may molluscum contagiosum present to the ophthalmologist?
• How would you manage molluscum contagiosum?