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Home :: Seborrheic Keratosis
Seborrheic Keratosis
The seborrheic keratosis is perhaps the most common of the benign epithelial tumors. These lesions, which are hereditary, do not appear until age 30 and continue to occur over a lifetime, varying in extent from a few scattered lesions to literally thousands in some very elderly patients.
Causes of Seborrheic Keratosis
The cause of seborrheic keratoses is not known. Some cases are inherited through an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance. Sunlight seems to play a role in the development of some seborrheic keratoses. Evidence indicates that at least some seborrheic keratoses have a clonal nature.
Symptoms of Seborrheic Keratosis
- Are located on the face, chest, shoulders, back, or other areas
- Are yellow, brown, black, or other colors
- May have a rough or wart-like texture
- Often may have waxy surface
- Have a round-to-oval shape
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is based primarily on the appearance of the growths. A skin lesion biopsy may be used to confirm the diagnosis.
Treatment
Light electrocautery permits the whole lesion to appear to be easily rubbed off. Then the base can be lightly cauterized to prevent recurrence. This, however, precludes histopathologic verification of diagnosis and should be done only by an experienced diagnostician. Cryosurgery with liquid nitrogen spray is excellent, but recurrences are possibly more frequent. Best approach is curettage after slight freezing with cryosurgery; this also permits histopathologic examination. In solid black lesion without horn cysts a shave biopsy is mandatory to rule out malignant melanoma.
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