dermatologic disorders
Actinic Keratoses
Introduction
Actinic keratoses are precancerous changes in skin cells (keratinocytes) that are a frequent consequence of many years of sun exposure. Diagnosis is clinical. Treatment typically includes lesion-directed or field-directed therapy. The prevalence of actinic keratoses is high and increases with age. Actinic keratoses constitute a significant risk of progression to Squamous Cell Carcinoma . The estimated rate of progression for an individual actinic keratosis to a squamous cell carcinoma varies widely in the medical literature, but consensus estimates most often range from < 1% to 10%. Actinic keratoses that do not progress to squamous cell carcinoma may regress or persist as actinic keratoses. Lesions that regress may subsequently recur. In addition to many years of sun exposure, other risk factors for actinic keratoses include older age, underlying immunosuppression, blond or red hair, blue eyes, and skin type I or II (see table). (See also Overview of Effects of Sunlight ) 