Actinic keratosis is a very common skin growth condition in which rough, scaly spots appear on the hands, arms, or facial area. These spots called actinic keratoses or solar keratosis are commonly termed as sunspots or age spots. Actinic keratoses can also occur on the lips, ears, back of hands, and can extend to forearms, scalp, or neck. They usually develop in the areas that are damaged due to years of sun exposure when one is suffering from actinic keratosis.
Symptoms
Actinic keratoses begin with the formation of thick, scaly, crusty skin patches and are usually about the size of a small pencil eraser. Some of the common signs and symptoms of this skin condition are as follows:
- Scaly, rough and dry patches on the skin
- Skin becoming hard or wart-like surface
- Itching and burning sensations in the affected area
- Bumps or flat patches on the top layer of skin
- Skin color as varied as pink, red and sometimes brown
These lesions can disappear, enlarge, or remain the same in the affected area. It is observed that people experiencing these symptoms should consult a dermatologist, doctor, or physician to get it examined.
If the following symptoms are present, there is a high risk of lesions developing into squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).
- Rapid enlargement of the lesions
- Bleeding
- Ulceration
SCC’s are relatively easy to diagnose in its early stages and so is its treatment.
Causes
Actinic keratosis occurs due to frequent or intense exposure to UV rays, i.e. sunlight. People who are in their 40’s to 60’s are most likely to experience this skin condition. People who have light-colored skin, or have a tendency and/or history of getting sunburn have a higher risk of contracting this skin condition. People who had been affected by human papillomavirus i.e. HPV are also prone to actinic keratosis.
Apart from these, people who have the following symptoms/problems are also at a high risk of getting the medical condition due to sun exposure:
- Reside at a sunny place
- Have a history of skin cancer
- Have blond or red hair
- Have blue or light-colored eyes
- Undergone chemotherapy or organ transplant medications
- Suffered leukemia or AIDS
Treatment
Actinic keratosis is treated by the dermatologists and doctors across the world by the following methods:
- Phototherapy: As per resources, in this method of treatment, a solution such as aminolevulinic acid (Levulan Kerastick) or Methyl aminolevulinate cream (Metvix) is applied to the affected area of the skin and is exposed to intense laser light. This light aims to kill abnormal cells.
- Cryotherapy: In this type of treatment, the affected area is sprayed with a cryosurgery solution, which could be liquid nitrogen. When sprayed, the solution freezes the affected cells upon contact, and kills them. Affected area scabs over and falls off within a few days after the treatment has been carried out.
- Cauterization: With the help of electric current, doctors and skin specialists burn the affected area through electric current, thus killing the affected skin cells.
- Excision: According to medical resources, doctors and dermatologists precisely cut the affected area of the skin of the patient. Sometimes, some extra area is also cut off, especially when there is a possibility of skin cancer. In this treatment, the requirement of stitches depends upon the size of the incision.
Disclaimer: The information in no way constitutes, or should be construed as medical advice. Nor is the above article an endorsement of any research findings discussed in the article an endorsement for any of the source publications.
