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ACTINIC KERATOSIS

Men's Health, Skin Conditions, Women's Health / By

ACTINIC KERATOSIS

Actinic keratosis is a rough, scaly patch of skin that develops from years of exposure to ultraviolet radiation.

  • The skin patches can be of various colours including light or dark tan, pink and/or flesh-toned, white, or a combination of these colors.
  • They occur on the area of the skin most exposed to sun including the face, bald scalp, neck, back of the hand, lips, ears, or forearm.
  • The size commonly ranges between 2 to 6 millimeters, but they can grow to be several centimeters in diameter.
  • At first, they are so small that they are commonly recognized by touch and not by sight- they feel as if you were running your hand over a sandpaper.
  • If left untreated, actinic keratosis may develop into a skin cancer called squamous cell carcinoma.
  • Squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common type of skin cancer.
  • Actinic keratosis is prevalent in fair-skinned individuals, and the risk of developing the condition increases with age.

CAUSES

The condition occurs when skin cells called keratinocyte begin to grow abnormally. This is usually caused by a prolonged period of exposure to ultraviolet radiation such as the sun or other artificial sources of UV light such as tanning beds.

Anyone can develop the condition, but you may have a higher risk if you:

  • Are older than 40
  • Have a tendency to freckle or sunburn easily
  • Live in a sunny climate
  • Have-light skinned color and blue eyes
  • Have human papillomavirus (HPV)
  • Are bald
  • Have a weak immune system as seen in people with AIDS, leukemia, or people using organ transplant medications.
  • Have a certain genetic disorder that interferes with DNA repair after sun exposure such as Bloom syndrome
  • Have red or blonde hair.
  • Have a history of sunburn

SYMPTOMS

  • Rough, dry, or scaly patch of skin
  • Itching or burning in the affected area
  • Bumps or patch that is flat or sticks out of the skin
  • Red, pink, brown or skin colored
  • In some cases, a hard wartlike surface

DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT

To make a diagnosis, the doctor will examine your skin

If any doubts exist, the doctor may want to take a skin biopsy. During a biopsy, a sample tissue from your skin is taken to the lab for analysis. This is the only foolproof way to check if your lesions have become cancerous.

TREATMENTS

The lesion may resolve on its own. But it usually reoccurs after some more sun exposure.

It is impossible to tell which lesions will change to skin cancer. So, as a precaution, actinic keratosis is always removed.

Treatment option may include:

Prescription medications for several keratoses such as imiquimod cream (Aldara), diclofenac gel (solarize), fluorouracil gel (efudex).

Photodynamic therapy where the doctor applies a chemical solution to the affected area to make it sensitive to light. The area is then exposed to artificial light to destroy the damaged cell.

The doctor may also perform a curettage (scraping) followed by electrodesiccation (burning the lesion with electric current).

Cryosurgery may also be performed. This involves freezing the lesion with nitrogen liquid.