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Actinic Keratosis

The Basics

Written by the doctors and editors at UpToDate пїЅ пїЅ

What is actinic keratosis? " пїЅ Actinic keratosis (AK) is a skin condition caused by sun damage. It causes scaly, rough, or bumpy spots on the skin. If an area of skin has more than one spot, the spots are called "actinic keratoses. " пїЅ пїЅ пїЅ

AK is most common in people who: пїЅ пїЅ

  • Spend a lot of time outside, or did when they were young " пїЅ People who work outside, such as farmers and lifeguards, have a higher risk of AK.
  • Have fair (light) skin and hair
  • Have freckles
  • Sunburn easily
  • Cannot get a tan easily

AK is more common in older people. This is because sun damage builds up over time. Both men and women get AK, but it is more common in men. AK is not common in people with olive-colored or dark skin. пїЅ пїЅ

Having one or more painful sunburns in your life raises your risk of getting AK. пїЅ пїЅ

Common places for AK include the: пїЅ пїЅ

  • Scalp, in people who are bald or losing their hair
  • Face
  • Side of the neck
  • Backs of the hands and forearms
  • Legs or feet, especially in women

What are the symptoms of actinic keratosis? " пїЅ AK looks like an abnormal area of skin. The area of skin can be: пїЅ пїЅ

  • Red and swollen
  • Thick, crusty, or scaly
  • Smooth and red
  • Sticking up, pointed, and hard like a finger nail

One kind of AK can happen on the lip. It can cause a rough, dry, or scaly spot. The lip might also crack or get a sore on it. пїЅ пїЅ

Should I see a doctor or nurse? " пїЅ Yes. Show your doctor or nurse any changes in your skin. AK can turn into a form of skin cancer called "squamous cell carcinoma. " пїЅ пїЅ пїЅ

Is there a test for actinic keratosis? " пїЅ No, there is no one test. The doctor or nurse will do an exam and check your skin. He or she can usually tell if you have AK by looking at any skin changes and touching them. пїЅ пїЅ

If the doctor is not sure whether AK is causing the skin changes, you will have a test called a biopsy. You might also have a biopsy if a spot is hard, bleeding, growing quickly, or larger than a certain size. пїЅ пїЅ

During a biopsy, a doctor takes a small sample from the abnormal area of skin. Or he or she takes out the whole area. Then another doctor looks at the skin under a microscope to check for skin cancer. пїЅ пїЅ

The doctor can also do a different test. In this test, he or she looks at the skin with a small microscope that has a light on it. The doctor holds this over the area with skin changes. The microscope and light help the doctor see under the skin. It can help show if a spot is an AK or something else. пїЅ пїЅ

How is actinic keratosis treated? " пїЅ A few people have AK that goes away on its own. This usually only happens in younger people. Most AK needs treatment. The spots can grow, spread, and turn into skin cancer. пїЅ пїЅ

The right treatment depends on the size of the AK, where it is on the body, and whether there are one or more spots. пїЅ пїЅ

Doctors can: пїЅ пїЅ

  • Freeze the AK off with a special cold liquid (called liquid nitrogen)
  • Do surgery to remove the AK
  • Give a strong cream or gel to put on the AK " пїЅ The medicine in the cream or gel can get rid of the AK. If you have an area of skin with several AKs, the doctor might tell you to put cream or gel on that whole area.
  • Remove the AK with a strong chemical
  • Do therapy with lights " пїЅ In this treatment, a doctor puts cream on the skin. This makes it sensitive to a special kind of light. Then, he or she shines the special light on the skin. This reacts with the cream to get rid of AKs.

What happens after treatment? " пїЅ After treatment, you need to be checked to see if the AK comes back or you get more AKs. The doctor will do an exam and check your skin for changes. You should also keep checking your skin for any new changes. Show any changes you find to your doctor or nurse. пїЅ пїЅ

Can actinic keratosis be prevented? " пїЅ Yes. You can help prevent AK by protecting your skin from the sun. To lower the chance of getting AK, you can: пїЅ пїЅ

  • Stay out of the sun in the middle of the day (from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
  • Wear sunscreen " пїЅ An SPF of at least 30 is best. The SPF number is on the sunscreen bottle or tube.
  • Wear a wide-brimmed hat, long-sleeved shirt, long pants, or long skirt outside.
  • NOT use tanning beds

Even if you already had treatment for AK, protecting your skin can help keep you from getting more. пїЅ пїЅ

All topics are updated as new evidence becomes available and our peer review process is complete. пїЅ пїЅ

This topic retrieved from UpToDate on: Nov 04, 2014. пїЅ пїЅ

Topic 82940 Version 3.0 пїЅ пїЅ

Release: 22.8 - C22.208 пїЅ пїЅ

пїЅ пїЅ 2014 UpToDate, Inc. All rights reserved. пїЅ пїЅ

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пїЅ пїЅ 2014 UpToDate, Inc. All rights reserved. пїЅ пїЅ