Seborrheic keratosis pictures of scalp. Seborrheic Keratosis: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment Options

03.09.202307.07.2023 by alexxlab

What are seborrheic keratoses. How do they develop on the scalp and other body parts. What are the key characteristics and treatment options for seborrheic keratoses. How can you differentiate seborrheic keratoses from other skin conditions.

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Understanding Seborrheic Keratosis: Common Skin Growths

Seborrheic keratosis is a prevalent benign skin growth that often appears as people age. These growths, while harmless, can sometimes be mistaken for more serious skin conditions. They typically manifest as waxy, scaly patches on the skin, varying in color from light tan to dark brown or black.

The exact cause of seborrheic keratosis remains unknown, but factors such as genetics, sun exposure, and hormonal changes are believed to play a role in their development. These growths can appear anywhere on the body but are most commonly found on the face, chest, shoulders, and back.

Key Characteristics of Seborrheic Keratosis

Waxy or scaly appearance
Raised surface
Round or oval shape
Varying sizes, from a few millimeters to several centimeters
Colors ranging from light tan to dark brown or black
Stuck-on appearance, as if they could be easily scraped off

Can seborrheic keratoses be cancerous. While seborrheic keratoses are benign growths, it’s essential to have any new or changing skin lesions evaluated by a dermatologist to rule out more serious conditions like skin cancer.

Seborrheic Keratosis on the Scalp: Identification and Management

When seborrheic keratoses develop on the scalp, they can be particularly challenging to identify and manage. The presence of hair can make these growths less visible, and their location may cause discomfort or irritation, especially when washing or styling hair.

Scalp seborrheic keratoses may present with the following characteristics:

Rough, scaly texture
Slightly raised appearance
Potential itching or irritation
Possible interference with hair growth in the affected area

Are scalp seborrheic keratoses different from those found on other parts of the body. While the underlying condition is the same, the presence of hair and the unique environment of the scalp can affect how these growths present and are managed.

Differential Diagnosis: Distinguishing Seborrheic Keratosis from Other Skin Conditions

Accurately identifying seborrheic keratosis is crucial for proper treatment and peace of mind. Several skin conditions can mimic the appearance of seborrheic keratosis, making differential diagnosis essential.

Conditions Often Confused with Seborrheic Keratosis

Actinic keratosis
Melanoma
Basal cell carcinoma
Squamous cell carcinoma
Dermatosis papulosa nigra
Pigmented nevi (moles)

How can you differentiate seborrheic keratosis from potentially cancerous lesions. While seborrheic keratoses typically have a “stuck-on” appearance and don’t change rapidly, any lesion that grows quickly, bleeds easily, or has irregular borders should be evaluated by a dermatologist promptly.

Diagnostic Techniques for Seborrheic Keratosis

Dermatologists employ various methods to accurately diagnose seborrheic keratosis and rule out more serious conditions. These diagnostic techniques ensure that patients receive appropriate care and treatment.

Common Diagnostic Methods

Visual examination
Dermoscopy
Skin biopsy
Reflectance confocal microscopy

Is a biopsy always necessary to diagnose seborrheic keratosis. In many cases, experienced dermatologists can diagnose seborrheic keratosis through visual examination alone. However, if there’s any doubt or concern about the nature of the growth, a biopsy may be recommended for definitive diagnosis.

Treatment Options for Seborrheic Keratosis

While seborrheic keratoses are benign and don’t require treatment for medical reasons, many individuals choose to have them removed for cosmetic purposes or if they cause discomfort. Several treatment options are available, each with its own benefits and considerations.

Common Treatment Methods

Cryosurgery (freezing)
Electrocautery (burning)
Curettage (scraping)
Laser therapy
Chemical peels
Topical treatments (e.g., hydrogen peroxide solutions)

Which treatment option is best for seborrheic keratosis. The most appropriate treatment depends on factors such as the size and location of the growth, the patient’s skin type, and personal preferences. A dermatologist can recommend the best approach based on individual circumstances.

Prevention and Management of Seborrheic Keratosis

While it’s not always possible to prevent seborrheic keratosis, certain measures can help manage existing growths and potentially reduce the risk of developing new ones. Understanding these strategies can empower individuals to take proactive steps in their skin health.

Tips for Managing Seborrheic Keratosis

Protect your skin from excessive sun exposure
Maintain good skin hygiene
Monitor existing growths for changes
Consult a dermatologist for regular skin checks
Consider gentle exfoliation to manage scalp seborrheic keratoses

Can lifestyle changes prevent the development of seborrheic keratosis. While there’s no guaranteed way to prevent these growths, maintaining overall skin health and protecting your skin from sun damage may help reduce the risk or slow the development of new seborrheic keratoses.

Seborrheic Keratosis and Quality of Life

Although seborrheic keratoses are benign, they can significantly impact an individual’s quality of life, particularly when they appear in visible areas like the face or scalp. Understanding the psychological and social aspects of living with these growths is crucial for comprehensive patient care.

Potential Impact on Quality of Life

Cosmetic concerns and self-esteem issues
Discomfort or irritation from the growths
Anxiety about the nature of the lesions
Social embarrassment or self-consciousness

How can individuals cope with the psychological impact of seborrheic keratosis. Open communication with healthcare providers, seeking support from friends and family, and exploring treatment options can help individuals manage the emotional aspects of living with seborrheic keratosis.

Latest Research and Innovations in Seborrheic Keratosis Treatment

The field of dermatology continues to advance, bringing new insights and treatment options for seborrheic keratosis. Staying informed about these developments can help patients and healthcare providers make informed decisions about management and treatment.

Recent Advancements in Seborrheic Keratosis Research

Gene expression studies to understand the underlying mechanisms
Development of targeted topical treatments
Improved diagnostic techniques using artificial intelligence
Exploration of non-invasive treatment options
Investigation of potential links to systemic diseases

What promising new treatments are on the horizon for seborrheic keratosis. Researchers are exploring novel topical formulations, improved laser technologies, and even immunotherapies that may offer more effective and less invasive treatment options in the future.

As our understanding of seborrheic keratosis continues to evolve, so do the approaches to diagnosis, treatment, and management. By staying informed about these common skin growths and working closely with healthcare providers, individuals can effectively manage seborrheic keratosis and maintain optimal skin health.

The field of dermatology is dynamic, with ongoing research shedding new light on conditions like seborrheic keratosis. As we look to the future, it’s likely that we’ll see even more targeted and personalized approaches to managing these benign yet often bothersome skin growths. Whether you’re dealing with seborrheic keratosis on your scalp or elsewhere on your body, remember that knowledge is power. By understanding the nature of these growths, exploring available treatment options, and maintaining open communication with your healthcare provider, you can navigate the challenges of seborrheic keratosis with confidence and clarity.

Ultimately, while seborrheic keratosis may be a common companion as we age, it need not define our skin health journey. With the right approach and care, these growths can be effectively managed, allowing individuals to focus on overall skin wellness and vitality. As research continues to unlock new insights and treatment possibilities, the future looks bright for those seeking to address seborrheic keratosis and maintain healthy, radiant skin at any age.

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Seborrhoeic keratoses

Seborrhoeic keratosis

Seborrheic Keratosis Condition, Treatments and Pictures for Adults

Who’s At Risk?

Seborrheic keratoses can occur any time after puberty, and almost everyone older than 50 has one or more of these skin growths. They may increase in number with age. Members of the same family can have an inherited tendency to grow multiple seborrheic keratoses. Men and women are equally as likely to develop them. People with darker skin colors tend to develop seborrheic keratoses less frequently than those with lighter skin colors.

Signs & Symptoms

Seborrheic keratoses can occur anywhere on the body, except for the palms, soles, and mucous membranes (areas such as in the mouth or anus). They most commonly occur on the chest and back. Seborrheic keratoses do not go away on their own, and they do not become cancerous.

They usually start as light brown or skin-colored, slightly raised areas, which can be round or oval and of varying size (usually smaller than a thumbnail, but sometimes much larger). As they grow thicker, seborrheic keratoses may become dark brown to almost black and appear to be “stuck on” to the surface of the skin. The surface may feel smooth or rough. In lighter skin colors, they may be pink or any shade of brown. In darker skin colors, they may be any shade of brown, purple, gray, or blackish.

Self-Care Guidelines

No treatment is needed unless there is irritation from clothing, such as itching or bleeding.

Note that:

There is no way to prevent new seborrheic keratoses from forming.
Some lotions containing alpha hydroxy acids, salicylic acid, or urea may make the areas feel smoother with regular use but will not eliminate them.
Over-the-counter freezing techniques are available but are usually not effective.

Treatments

Removal can be accomplished with freezing (cryosurgery), scraping (curettage), burning (electrocautery), lasers, or acids. Your dermatologist or other medical professional might conduct a biopsy if the growth looks unusual.

Visit Urgency

If a lesion on your skin is growing, bleeding, painful, or itchy, see your dermatologist or another medical professional. Similarly, consult a medical professional for any growth that is more than one color, that is dark brown or black, or that looks different than any of your other skin growths.

Seborrheic keratoses can be removed, but removal is considered a cosmetic issue and is usually not covered by insurance.

Trusted Links

MedlinePlus: Skin Conditions
Clinical Information and Differential Diagnosis of Keratosis, Seborrheic

References

Bolognia J, Schaffer JV, Cerroni L. Dermatology. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018.

James WD, Elston D, Treat JR, Rosenbach MA. Andrew’s Diseases of the Skin. 13th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019.

Kang S, Amagai M, Bruckner AL, et al. Fitzpatrick’s Dermatology. 9th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education; 2019.

Last modified on May 30th, 2023 at 2:11 pm

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Derma Clinic Riga – Seborrheic keratosis

Seborrheic keratosis

What is this?

Seborrheic keratosis, or basal cell papilloma (it is also called “senile keratosis”) is a benign superficial skin formation. These are common skin lesions that occur in approximately 30% of patients over 40 years of age, and up to 75% of patients around 70 years of age. Sometimes found in young people. Sometimes these are separate formations, but some people have them in very large quantities (up to several hundred). For health, these neoplasms are not harmful, not contagious to other people, and do not transform into malignant tumors.

What causes seborrheic keratosis?

Despite the name, there is no connection with seborrhea and the sebaceous glands found in the skin. The reason for their occurrence is unknown. In some people, their appearance can be associated with prolonged exposure to the sun and activation in the body of the human papillomavirus (HPV, human papilloma virus – HPV ). Also, some patients have a genetic predisposition to the formation of seborrheic keratoses.

What are the symptoms and how to recognize?

In typical cases, seborrheic keratoses do not show any symptoms, except for visually noticeable skin formations. Sometimes they can cause itching, depending on the location, they can be injured by clothing and become inflamed. Mostly people do not like the appearance of these formations, especially if they are located on open areas of the skin.

Seborrheic keratosis is characterized by:

rough, keratinized surface;
color from light brown to almost black;
an increase in small, flat seborrheic keratoses in size and thickness;
localization in the chest, abdomen, back, neck and face.

How is seborrheic keratosis diagnosed?

Seborrheic keratoses are much more common than malignant skin tumors, but be aware that dark seborrheic keratoses can look like melanoma. With the help of dermatoscopy, all pigmented formations on the skin should be examined so that the diagnosis is made correctly.

How to remove tumors?

There are various methods for eliminating seborrheic keratoses, but none of them excludes the emergence of new formations.

Given the prevalence of keratoses and their benign nature, treatment is primarily cosmetic. If the formations are regularly injured, then it is recommended to get rid of them.

The most commonly used methods for the elimination of seborrheic keratoses:

cryodestruction (freezing with liquid nitrogen). Within 1-2 weeks after the procedure, the formations are exfoliated from the surface of the skin;
laser destruction. Depending on the size of the removed formations, the procedure is performed under local anesthesia or without anesthesia;
surgical excision (removal) – if during a clinical study it is not possible to exclude the likelihood of developing a malignant process (difficulty determining differences from a malignant tumor).

Prophylaxis:

there are no such means of prevention that would exclude the occurrence of seborrheic keratoses;
pay close attention to any skin growths that increase in size, bleed, change in any way. Ask your loved ones for help in assessing skin changes on the back.

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Keratosis: signs, symptoms and treatment

Keratoses (keratoderma, keratodermatosis) are a group of dermatological pathologies characterized by a violation of the normal process of keratinization of the epidermis. A patient suffering from a disease is faced with the formation of foci of rough skin on the body and limbs. Often zones of dermatosis appear on the palms and soles – relatively large areas of the dermis, devoid of sebaceous glands. The clinical picture of the pathology depends on the form of keratoderma that has developed in a child or adult.

General

Keratoderma can occur in acute or chronic forms. Based on histological analyzes of biomaterials of children and adults, doctors determine the nature of dermatoses, referring them to acquired or hereditary pathologies. The disease affecting the skin of the patient does not have a pronounced seasonality. A significant influence on the likelihood of developing a pathological process in the cells of the epidermis is exerted by race, gender, age and region of residence of a person.

Classification of keratoderma

Dermatologists distinguish three main types of keratoses:

follicular,
seborrheic,
actinic.

Dermatoses of the first type are the result of the formation of horny plugs in the mouths of the hair follicles. Seborrheic keratoderma are neoplasms in the form of nodules or plaques, painted in brown or black. Actinic keratosis is a disease that occurs in people over 60 years of age. Dermatoses of this form look like a cluster of small scaly spots.

Etiology of disease

The reasons for the development of keratoderma are diverse. Pathology can develop against the background of endocrine disorders, viral or bacterial infections, malignant neoplasms. Excessive insolation has a significant impact on the condition of the skin of children and adults. Often, pathological processes are the result of an insufficiently varied diet of the patient.

External and internal factors lead to changes in the well-established process of reproduction of epidermal cells. In the body of a healthy person, dead skin particles undergo keratinization and exfoliate. These scales are saturated with keratin and practically devoid of moisture. Keratodermatosis provokes a doubling of the growth rate of epidermal cells. The structures of the dermis of the previous generation do not have time to go through a full life cycle. Because of this, a dense plate is formed on the surface of the skin from a mixture of cells and keratin.

Symptoms of pathology

The symptoms of keratosis correspond to the form of the disease from which the patient suffers. Common signs of keratoderma of all forms are well-marked keratinization foci and excessive skin flaking. Primary neoplasms on the surface of the epidermis have different sizes, shapes and colors. Often the first manifestation of pathology is a red rash. As symptoms increase, the elements merge with each other and form a continuous hyperkeratotic surface. Typical localization sites of seborrheic keratosis are the face, neck and scalp. Follicular dermatitis often develops on the body and lower extremities. The actinic type of pathology affects the skin of the neck, back and arms.

The pathological process can proceed in dry and wet forms. In the first case, dehydrated epidermal cells form a hard, inelastic surface, which is covered with cracks. Skin flakes with residual moisture can cause erosion and weeping. In this case, a secondary infection joins the primary pathology. The launched inflammatory process can become chronic – the patient will suffer from periodic relapses.

Diagnostic measures

Confirmation of the diagnosis is performed by a dermatologist based on the clinical picture of the pathology and histological analysis data. A laboratory study of skin scrapings obtained by a doctor during an examination of a child or adult allows you to establish the form of keratosis and determine the causes of the development of the disease. Differential diagnosis gives dermatologists the opportunity to exclude seborrhea, psoriasis, lichen planus, Bowen’s disease, melanoma, and basal cell skin cancer from the patient’s history.

Therapeutic course

Treatment methods for keratosis are determined by a dermatologist based on the symptoms identified in the patient and the results of a clinical and laboratory examination. Drug therapy allows you to achieve a quick effect with a small area of skin lesions. A child or an adult is prescribed preparations based on fluorouracil – ointments or gels.

The threat of malignant degeneration of neoplasms and the development of a secondary infection in a patient can be a reason for doctors to choose radical methods of treating keratosis. Most often, dermatologists resort to cryo-, radio- or electrical destruction. Surgical removal of keratoderma foci is carried out in the chronic course of the disease and the absence of signs of tissue malignancy.

Forecast and preventive measures

Patients who seek medical help in a timely manner can expect a full recovery. The dermatologist will form a treatment plan that will prevent the transition of the disease to the chronic stage. The neglected course of dermatoses can lead to malignant degeneration of foci of pathology or the addition of secondary bacterial infections to keratosis.

Prevention of pathology involves the observance by patients of precautionary measures during their stay on the street. Excessive insolation often causes disruption of the normal processes of skin keratinization. The use of sunscreens will minimize the risk of formation of cellular keratin plaques.

Diagnosis and treatment of keratosis in Moscow

JSC “Medicina” (clinic of Academician Roitberg) has all the necessary equipment for the diagnosis and treatment of keratoses in children and adults.