Lentigo is sometimes confused with freckles, chloasma and birthmarks. These small brownish spots can be single and manifest as multiple skin lesions, be congenital and occur after prolonged exposure to the sun at any age. At first, they frighten patients if they appear unexpectedly after a sunburn. But the risk of malignancy in lentigo is minimal. Early diagnosis of the initial stages of the transition of this pigmented formation to a malignant state promises a complete cure.
Lentigo is a benign, oval-shaped, pale yellow to dark brown, lentigo-sized, lentigo-to-bean-sized pigmented spot. Lentigo grows slowly, can occur in men and women, in children and the elderly. Most often, these age spots can be seen in people over 70 years old, women get sick more often, but if lentigo occurs in a man, and malignancy of the spot occurs, then his tumor is more aggressive and with a higher mortality.
Symptoms of lentigo, causes of appearance, location features
Lentigo pigment spots can occur on different parts of the body - depending on the causes of the disease.
Lentigo is divided into congenital and acquired. Among hereditary forms, Touraine's lentigines and periorificial lentigines are known. In these diseases, age spots usually appear on the face, especially on the red border of the lips, and in addition, both of these forms are characterized by the presence of concomitant organic lesions.
Acquired forms are divided into solar lentigo, in which age spots are localized in places open to the sun, and occur after a severe burn or long exposure to sunlight, as well as senile lentigo - developing due to age-related metabolic disorders, with it age spots are located anywhere, but more often on the forearm and back of the hand.
The main causes of lentigo include the following:
skin hypersensitivity, very fair skin;
excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation;
sunburn, especially in childhood;
long exposure to the sun, especially in the mountains;
hormonal imbalance (pregnancy, puberty).
Provoking factors for the appearance of lentigo can be:
old age;
weakening of immunity;
hereditary predisposition.
If age spots with lentigo become asymmetric in shape, uneven borders and uneven coloring, increase in size by more than 6 mm, become rough and convex, itch and become inflamed - this may be the first sign of the transition of lentigo to a malignant stage and requires immediate consultation with an oncologist.
Treatment and prevention of lentigo. Possibilities of cosmetology
Lentigo treatment is prescribed after a detailed examination of the patient and the exclusion of the possibility of malignant development of age spots. The prescribed treatment procedures depend on the type of lentigo.
Solar lentigo. Exfoliating and bleaching agents are used. If age spots are light, retinol peeling will help get rid of them. But if the spots are dark, then such peeling will lighten them along with the adjacent skin.
If age spots protrude above the surface of the skin, laser resurfacing is recommended for patients. For dark spots, a good effect is achieved by photoprotection, which destroys the pigment due to the action of a flash of light, or by diathermocoagulation.
In the hereditary form of lentigo, age spots are removed using X-ray therapy as the most effective method in this case.
Prevention of lentigo is the use of sunscreen and limiting exposure to the active sun.
Share:
Add a comment