Is seborrheic keratosis dangerous and how to get rid of it

Seborrheic keratosis is usually complained by patients over 40 years of age, calling its manifestations warts. Sometimes it can be a small flat spot on the skin that is brown or even black, over time these spots on the skin come above the surface and can take on a mushroom shape. Patients are afraid of the likelihood of their malignant transformation, but usually these neoplasms do not develop into tumors and cause only cosmetic inconvenience. What is seborrheic keratosis? How to identify and treat seborrheic keratosis, read more on estet-portal.com.

Causes and diagnosis of seborrheic keratosis

Seborrheic keratosis (also known as seborrheic wart or basal cell papilloma) occurs as brownish-gray or even black patches on the skin. Sometimes these foci look as if glued, raised above the surrounding skin, have a greasy surface and are covered with a layer of cells resembling horny scales.

Characteristic features of seborrheic keratosis:

• Seborrheic keratosis occurs only on those plots of the body where there is hairline, it is most often located on the back, chest, face, but the palms and soles of the feet are never affected.
• Seborrheic keratosis foci are most often located in areas of the body where there are most of the sebaceous glands.
• The reasons for the development of seborrheic keratosis have not been clarified today, versions with the influence of papillomavirus and solar radiation have not been sufficiently confirmed, while scientists are inclined to believe that the genetic predisposition of the patient plays a significant role in the development of this disease.

Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of seborrheic keratosis

The initial stage of seborrheic keratosis usually looks like a flat brown spot on the skin, then it changes into a greasy papule, on which many black and gray follicular plugs are noticeable.

Diagnosis of seborrheic keratosis is usually not difficult - a spot on the skin is examined with a dermatoscope and differentiated from other similar diseases (pigmented nevi, lentigo, keratosis, etc.).

The doctor should be alerted by the sudden appearance of a large number of foci of seborrheic keratosis, accompanied by itching. This may be a symptom of adenocarcinoma or other malignant diseases of the internal organs.

If seborrheic keratosis lesions are inflamed, basal cell carcinoma should be ruled out, for which histological examination is important.

Main aspects of the treatment of seborrheic keratosis

Usually, seborrheic keratosis is a concern for the patient from a cosmetic point of view, so the treatment is aimed at ensuring a satisfactory appearance of the skin, notes estet-portal.com. If there is even the slightest doubt, the doctor is obliged to biopsy the spot on the skin before carrying out therapeutic measures and exclude the possibility of a malignant formation that looks like seborrheic keratosis.

The goal of treatment is to completely destroy the foci of seborrheic keratosis and prevent their recurrence.

If possible, remove the stain on the skin without leaving scars. In some cases, dermabrasion and chemical peeling are used, laser therapy gives a good effect.

Thus, the task of a dermatologist in the treatment of seborrheic keratosis is not to miss malignant neoplasms and to choose the most effective method for removing the spot on the skin of seborrheic keratosis without the risk of cosmetically unacceptable scarring.

Share: