Seborrheic keratosis: Causes, symptoms, and treatment

Seborrheic keratosis is a benign skin tumour that is frequently found in adult and elderly individuals. Since it is benign, treatment is typically not necessary, but it is crucial to be able to distinguish it from other benign and malignant skin tumours. Seborrheic keratosis is a common benign skin growth that resembles a mole that most people will experience at least once in their lifetime, according to medical professionals.

Although they are not hazardous and don’t require treatment, they tend to initially appear in mid-adulthood and become more numerous as people age. If they irritate you, however, you can get them removed. Technically, warts and moles are also epidermal tumours, which just means that they are clumps of extra cells on the epidermis, the skin’s outer layer, and are not thought to be a risk factor for developing skin cancer.

Causes:

The first is age; seborrheic keratosis is more common in those over 50, and it typically gets worse as people age. According to certain studies, being around light can increase their frequency. They also frequently run in families, which suggests that genetics may be a factor. Neither bacteria nor viruses cause them. They do not spread and are not contagious.

Symptoms:

Seborrheic keratosis can manifest in several ways. It can have a smooth, warty, waxy, or stuck-on appearance and be skin-colored, yellow, grey, light brown, dark brown, or black. It can also be flat or elevated. Seborrheic keratosis becomes inflammatory, red, and crusty when it is agitated. Around the seborrheic keratosis, it may cause eczematous dermatitis. When there are numerous eruptive seborrheic keratoses, this may indicate an underlying internal cancer, most frequently stomach adenocarcinoma.

Diagnosis and treatment:

The confirmation of a diagnosis is aided by histopathology and dermoscopy. The onset of seborrheic keratosis cannot be totally avoided. Regularly applying sunscreen is beneficial, though. The majority of seborrheic keratoses don’t need to be treated. When a seborrheic keratosis resembles skin cancer, gets stuck on clothing or jewellery, irritates easily, or is considered ugly by the patient, a dermatologist may choose to remove it. Cryotherapy, which uses liquid nitrogen to freeze the growth, can be used to treat seborrheic keratosis, as well as electrocautery, curettage, ablative laser surgery, and shave biopsy (shaving off with a scalpel).

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