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Senile keratosis is essentially a form of solar or actinic keratosis. However, the difference is that the senile form of this skin condition specifically refers to the elderly. Generally, this form of keratoses appears in individuals who are older than 50.
Senile keratoses symptoms are characterized by papules or small flat bumps rising slightly from the skin’s surface. These papules have sharp outlines and are generally gray or grayish black in color, but they have been described as being red or pink as well. The growths are often named senile warts because they can be soft and wart or mole like in appearance. The affected skin may be dry with localized scaling of the skin. The growths are not painful.
This keratosis skin problem is caused by exposure to sunlight over several years. Because of this, senile warts are frequently encountered on fair-skinned people and individuals who live in sunny climates and on body parts that are regularly exposed to the sun. Examples of the affected body parts include the back of hands, forearms, face, and neck.
Treatment involving surgical removal, cryotherapy, or possibly topical treatment, is generally pursued for cosmetic reasons to improve the appearance of the skin, but may also be because the growth is causing discomfort due to friction with clothing, etc.
To prevent this type of keratosis, limit sun exposure or use sunscreen diligently when out in the sun.
There are indications that senile keratosis can be a precancerous skin condition. One stat suggests that about 20 percent of individuals with this skin problem will develop squamous cell carcinoma. There is no way of knowing the accuracy of this statistic. Of course, a physician should inspect any skin growth than changes or is of concern to be sure it is not a cancerous growth.
skin care |
keratosis |
senile keratosis
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