- Dermatology Unit, Conditions
Seborrheic keratosis
What is
What is seborrheic keratosis?
Seborrheic keratoses are very common benign skin tumors, especially in middle-aged and older people.
Its cause is unknown, although some authors defend its hereditary etiology while others postulate the possibility of viral lesions. To date, the latter theory has not been proven.
Information
How they are
These can be very different from each other and appear in various locations. They are usually multiple lesions somewhat elevated in relation to healthy skin, which can have a coloration ranging from dark yellow through a wide range of browns to a blackish coloration, with a characteristic matte hue and sometimes a characteristic oily surface.
It may also occur that their surface has a scaly appearance and when scratched, part of the brownish surface of the lesion may peel off. They are usually located on the trunk and back, face and less frequently also on the extremities.
Seborrheic keratoses are usually asymptomatic, although in some cases they may itch. Also, due to trauma, scratching or rubbing they can become inflamed, and then they can become painful and take on an appearance that can be alarming.
How it is diagnosed
Its diagnosis is usually clinical and any dermatologist can establish it by physical examination of the patient.
We also have dermatoscopy, which consists of the application of a totally painless polarized light that allows us to visualize the pattern of the lesion, which reveals a series of clues to the trained eye that help to establish the diagnosis.
However, there are lesions that show difficulties, as they may be inflamed or very dark. In these circumstances it may be necessary to resort to a biopsy in order to make the correct diagnosis.
Treatment
As mentioned above, these are benign lesions. Thus, the decision to remove them is up to the patient, and they can be removed for esthetic reasons, for being in areas of rubbing where the lesions are often inflamed, or on the recommendation of the dermatologist in doubtful lesions, to make a microscopic diagnosis of the lesion and thus differentiate it with complete certainty from some type of skin cancer.
There are several methods for the removal of seborrheic keratoses. These include curettage, with subsequent cauterization of the residual superficial wound, fulguration of the lesions with the electric scalpel, cryotherapy (cold burn), or removal of the lesions by CO2 laser therapy.
All options are equally effective, although both curettage and cryotherapy present a greater risk of scarring the patient in the area where the lesion was previously located.
The treatment of seborrheic keratoses eliminates those present at the time of the visit, but these lesions can sometimes reappear, or new ones may appear in different locations than the initial ones.
FAQs
What is the evolution of seborrheic keratoses?
Seborrheic keratoses do not usually disappear on their own, and usually the lesions can grow progressively and over time more often appear.
Some of the factors that can cause lesions to appear or increase in number are pregnancy, sunburn, advanced age or the presence of some other skin disease. The sudden appearance of many seborrheic keratoses in a short period of time on the trunk has also been associated with the presence of an internal tumor. This association is rare and requires an evaluation by a dermatologist in order to correctly orient the lesions, which are highly frequent in the general population and their presence should not cause alarm.