Electronmicrographs of Thin Sections of Molluscum Contagiosum. ∗

Abstract

Summary

Thin sections of Molluscum contagiosum lesions from man have been examined with the electron microscope. Cells were seen in the prickle cell layer of the epidermis which contained only a very few cytoplasmic elementary bodies. These are considered to be early infected cells. Cells were seen with varying numbers of elementary bodies scattered through the cytoplasm while others were entirely filled with elementary bodies forming a mature inclusion. The elementary bodies in the early infected cells differed somewhat in shape from most of the elementary bodies seen in the larger inclusions. The mature inclusion bodies were divided into locules by septa. The locules contained mature elementary bodies. The elementary bodies appear to form from the material composing the matrix of the septa by a process of segmentation and condensation. The elementary bodies themselves were sectioned and appeared in some instances to have a formed cortex with a less dense interior.