Seborrheic keratosis is a type of skin disease, namely the growth of wart-like bumps on the skin surface. Seborrheic keratosis bumps can grow anywhere, except on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, or mucous membranes (lining like the inside of the mouth or nose). The body parts that are often the location of the appearance of these lumps are the face, chest, shoulders, and back.
Seborrheic keratosis occurs in adults, especially the elderly. The lumps that appear are benign and rarely develop into cancer. However, lumps due to seborrheic keratoses are sometimes suspected of being skin cancer by sufferers. Generally, seborrheic keratoses are painless and do not require special treatment. However, if it bothers you, the patient can consult a doctor so that he can undergo the appropriate treatment.
Symptoms of Seborrheic Keratosis
The main symptom of seborrheic keratoses is the appearance of wart-like bumps on the skin. The characteristics of seborrheic keratoses include:
- Generally brown, brown, dark brown to black.
- Round or oval (oval).
- Has a rough surface like warts.
- The surface of the bump looks oily or waxy.
- The bump has a flat surface, but is more prominent than the surrounding skin surface.
- The lumps often appear in groups.
- It is not painful but can be itchy.
Although the lumps that appear due to seborrheic keratoses do not cause serious symptoms. However, if you feel uncomfortable, the patient should immediately consult a doctor. In addition, the patient should not scratch the lump because bleeding, swelling, or infection can occur.
Patients with seborrheic keratoses are recommended to see a doctor if symptoms appear, such as:
- A new lump appears.
- Only one lump appears, this is due to more than one lump that appears due to seborrheic keratoses.
- The bumps have an unusual color, such as bluish, purple or blackish red.
- The lump is painful.
- The edges of the bumps are uneven.
Kerato Causes and Risk Factorssis seborrheic
Until now, the cause behind the abnormal growth of seborrheic keratosis skin cells is not known with certainty. However, there are several things that are known to make a person more prone to this condition, including:
- This skin disorder generally occurs in adults aged over 40 years.
- Sun exposure. Often seborrheic keratoses appear on areas of the skin that are frequently exposed to the sun.
- History internal disease A person is more likely to get seborrheic keratoses if they have a family history of this disease.
- Skin color. White people have a higher risk of developing seborrheic keratosis.
Kerato Diagnosissis seborrheic
Seborrheic keratosis is detected by its unique shape. Doctors can diagnose lumps on the skin as seborrheic keratoses through a physical examination of the patient. The main physical examination carried out by the doctor is to observe the symptoms of the lump.
If needed, the doctor may perform a biopsy to take a tissue sample from the lump and examine it in a laboratory.
Seborrheic Keratosis Treatment
Seborrheic keratoses generally do not require special treatment. However, if the seborrheic keratosis lump becomes irritated or infected, the patient can undergo treatment to remove the lump. In addition, the lumps of seborrheic keratoses can be removed if they are uncomfortable or unobtrusive.
There are several methods of removing seborrheic keratosis lumps that patients can undergo, including:
- Muse liquid nitrogen (cryotherapy). Cryotherapy is done by freezing the lumps of seborrheic keratoses using liquid nitrogen to remove the lumps.
- Using a laser beam. The doctor will adjust the type of laser beam to be used for this method.
- Combustion using electric current (electrocautery). This method involves applying an electric current to the lump, so it can be removed from the skin. This method can be applied as a single procedure or in combination with a curettage (curettage). If done carefully, this method generally leaves no scars.
- Curette (curettage). Curettage is done by scraping the lumps of seborrheic keratoses using a special tool. The curettage method can be combined with cryotherapy or electrocautery to provide maximum results.
The skin area of the former lump that underwent surgical removal will be paler in color than the surrounding skin. This difference in skin color will diminish over time. Seborrheic keratosis bumps generally won't reappear in the same location, but can appear in other areas of the skin.
In addition to surgery or surgery, seborrheic keratosis can also be treated using drugs, such as hydrogen peroxide.
Complications of Seborrheic Keratosis
Seborrheic keratosis rarely causes complications. However, if the bumps of seborrheic keratosis become irritated, skin inflammation or dermatitis may appear in the area around the lump. Dermatitis that occurs can also be a trigger for the appearance of other seborrheic keratoses.
In addition, although seborrheic keratoses are not malignant tumors, they are sometimes difficult to distinguish from skin cancer. The difference between seborrheic keratosis bumps and skin cancer is more difficult to see if the seborrheic keratosis bumps are pigmented. Seborrheic keratosis lumps that appear in certain areas, such as in the pubic area, are also difficult to distinguish from skin cancer. In certain cases, the tissue located on the inside of the lump can develop into skin cancer. However, it is not known whether seborrheic keratosis can trigger skin cancer in patients.