Seborrheic keratoses is the most common skin tumors. Evolution is benign (noncancerous) and can occur anywhere on the skin except the palms and soles, especially in seborrheic areas (with increased secretion of fat). Can be single or multiple (common situation).
How seborrheic keratoses looks?
Appears on normal skin as a flat or low elevation white-yellow which is evolving to form a thick warty surface. Most are brown with shades from light brown to dark brown. The surface is soft and smooth surface with yellow caps. In size from several millimeters to several centimeters. Sometimes fragmented or completely detached spontaneously leaving a slightly moist surface. Often begins in 4-5 decades of life. Occasionally occur in pregnancy or after treatment with estrogen. Children are rarely affected.
What is the cause of seborrheic keratoses?
The exact cause of seborrheic keratoses appearance remains unknown. There are family cases. Some studies suggest that excessive sun exposure would favor the appearance of seborrheic keratoses.
How dangerous is seborrheic keratoses?
Seborrheic keratoses is a benign and chronic formations. These lesions should be examined by a dermatologist, especially in situations they grow rapidly, become black, bleed or cause local itching. In these cases it is difficult to distinguish from skin cancer, so it is necessary to their biopsy (removal and examination under a microscope for diagnosis). Occasionally there are suddenly more damage that can be a sign of serious internal problems.
Seborrheic keratoses may be mistaken for warts (warts), pigmentation nevi (moles), actinic keratoses (precancerous lesions) and skin cancers (melanoma, skin carcinomas). For this reason, consideration of such injuries by a specialist dermatologist is mandatory.
Treatments for seborrheic keratoses
Treatment may be recommended for large lesions easily traumatized. The aesthetic may be an important reason that requires treatment. There are several treatment options to remove seborrheic keratoses:
- Cryotherapy / Cryosurgery. Involves the application of liquid nitrogen into the lesion that causes “freeze” it. Lesion is removed spontaneously within a few days. Sometimes it can form a bubble in seborrheic keratoses which dries and cause its removal. After this point you can see light or dark color will fade over time. As a side effect of this treatment can meet the indefinite persistence of depigmentation (white skin) at treatment.
- Electrosurgery involves local anesthesia and use an electric current that cauterizes (burns) seborrheic keratoses. Waste can cause scarring.
- Curettage under local anesthesia involves the use of a curette to remove seborrheic keratoses. Dressing is not necessary. Sometimes it may be noted minimal bleeding easily controlled.
- Whatever type of treatment chosen heal seborrheic keratoses.
Electrosurgery is the best option that we have in seborrheic keratosis. I know a lot of people that “burned” it with Electrosurgery.
What about the risks of electro surgery? My wife have seborrheic keratosis on scalp and she is thinking to remove it but we are stil looking for options.
What do you people recommend us?
What will happen with my skin in 10 years for example if I don’t remove it now? I have just 3 seborrheic keratosis on my back and to be honest I don’t feel the need to remove them, but I will do it if I can develop complication in future because of them.