Most of the time,
doctors can diagnose an Solar keratosis (Actinic
keratosis) just by
examining it. If the Solar keratosis is especially
large or thick, a biopsy may be advisable to make sure
that the spot in question is just a Solar keratosis
and has not become a skin cancer.
There are other spots,
called seborrheic keratoses, that are not caused by
sun exposure and have no relationship to skin cancers.
These are raised brown lesions that may appear on any
area of the skin. They also often run in families.
Solar keratosis, is a
small, rough spot occurring on skin that has been
chronically exposed to the sun. Solar keratosis
generally measure in size between 2-6 millimeters in
diameter (between the size of a pencil point and that
of an eraser). Solar keratosis are usually reddish in
color, with a rough texture and often Solar keratosis
have a white or yellowish scale on top. Solar
keratosis often occurs against a background of sun
damage, including sallowness, wrinkles, and
superficial blood vessels.
In addition to feeling
rough, Solar keratosis (Actinic
keratosis) may feel sore or painful when
fingers or clothing rub against them.
Specialized forms of
Solar keratosis (Actinic
keratosis) include cutaneous horns, in which the
skin protrudes in a thick, hornlike manner, and
actinic cheilitis, which refers to scaling and
roughness of the lower lip and blurring of the border
of the lip and adjacent skin.
The possible symptoms
of Solar keratosis (Actinic
keratosis) includes:
- Crusty, red patches.
- Patches are
frequently less than an inch in size with slight
scale (sometimes thick like a wart) and a pink, red,
or brownish shade.
- Tender, red raw
areas that persevere for months to years.
- Infrequently, you
may get an itchy or pricking feeling from affected
areas of skin.
The lesions grow slowly
and range from 1/8 to 1/4 inch in diameter. They may
go away and return at a later time. Over time, the
lesions may change to wartlike white, hard crusts.
Common locations for the lesions include:
backs of hands and
forearms
bald scalp
face and ears
lips
neck
How are solar
keratosis diagnosed?
Your doctor may be
able to diagnose a solar keratosis (Actinic
keratosis) by its typical
appearance alone. However, sometimes this may be
difficult. You may be referred to a dermatologist
and/or your doctor may suggest that a skin biopsy is
taken. This is where a small sample of your skin is
taken and examined under the microscope in a
laboratory.
