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Actinic Keratosis Skin Care, Solar Keratosis Treatment, Squamous Cell... bhamdermatology.com | Keratosis (also known as solar keratosis)... newcastle-hospitals.org.u... | Barnacles, Seborrheic Keratosis, Solar keratosis... pimaderm.com |
Actinic keratosis (also called solar keratosis, or AK) is a premalignant condition[1] of thick, scaly, or crusty patches of skin.[2]:719[3] It is more common in fair-skinned people. It is associated with those who are frequently exposed to the sun,[4] as it is usually accompanied by solar damage. Since some of these pre-cancers progress to squamous cell carcinoma,[3] they should be treated. When skin is exposed to the sun constantly, thick, scaly, or crusty bumps appear. The scaly or crusty part of the bump is dry and rough. The growths start out as flat scaly areas, and later grow into a tough, wart-like area. An actinic keratosis site commonly ranges between 2 and 6 millimeters in size, and can be dark or light, tan, pink, red, a combination of all these, or have the same pigment as the surrounding skin. It may appear on any sun-exposed area, such as the face, ears, neck, scalp, chest, backs of hands, forearms, or lips.
[edit] PreventionPreventive measures recommended for AK are similar to those for skin cancer:
[edit] DiagnosisDoctors can usually identify AK by doing a thorough examination. A biopsy may be necessary when the keratosis is large and/or thick, to make sure that the bump is a keratosis and not a skin cancer. Seborrheic keratoses are other bumps that appear in groups like the actinic keratosis but are not caused by sun exposure, and are not related to skin cancers. Seborrheic keratoses may be mistaken for an actinic keratosis. [edit] TreatmentVarious modalities are employed in the treatment of actinic keratosis:
Regular follow-up after the treatment is advised by many doctors. The regular checks are to make sure no new bumps have developed and that old ones haven't become thicker. [edit] Experimental treatmentsIn 2007, Australia biopharmaceutical company Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals Limited began clinical trials with a melanocyte-stimulating hormone called afamelanotide (formerly CUV1647)[7] for mitigation of photodynamic therapy side effects in organ transplant patients.[8][9] Another Australian biopharmaceutical company, Peplin,[10] is also developing a topical treatment for actinic keratosis. Formed in 1998 they are currently developing Ingenol Mebutate, which is the first in a new class of compounds and which is derived from Euphorbia peplus, or E. peplus, a rapidly growing, readily-available plant, commonly referred to as petty spurge or radium weed. The sap of E. peplus has a long history of traditional use for a variety of conditions, including the topical self-treatment of various skin disorders, such as skin cancer and pre-cancerous skin lesions. The company has recently redomiciled to the USA and is about to enter phase III trials with Ingenol Mebutate. [edit] See also[edit] External links
[edit] References
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