Actinic Keratosis - Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

Actinic Keratosis is most common in fair-skinned people who are frequently exposed to the sun, because their pigment isn't very protective. It usually is accompanied by solar damage. Since some of these pre-cancers progress to squamous cell carcinoma.People who expose their skin to the sun frequently, especially without wearing sunscreen, are more likely to develop actinic keratoses. They are also more common in people with red hair and freckles. AKs used to be more common in the elderly, they are now seen more often in younger people due to changes in our environment and lifestyles. Actinic keratoses are caused by repeated and prolonged exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. Ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation causes the cells on the surface of the skin to undergo mutations that can cause abnormalities in certain genes. One particular gene that is affected is TP53, a gene that suppresses tumors. Actinic keratosis site commonly ranges in between 2 to 6 millimeters, and can be dark or light, tan, pink, red, a combination of all these, or the same pigment of one's skin.

Actinic Keratosis may appear on any sun -exposed area, such as the face, ears, neck, scalp, chest, back of hands, forearms, lips etc. Arsenical keratosis is an accumulation of keratinized tissue that at first resembles numerous small, yellowish corns. Patients may develop multiple lesions within a single anatomic area to the extent that the lesions collide and produce confluent AK over a relatively large area. Variants may be brown (pigmented AK), lichen planus–like, or have exaggerated hyperkeratosis, producing a hornlike projection above the skin surface known as a cutaneous horn. Although rarely seen today, arsenical keratoses usually occur on patients who were at some time in their live exposed to arsenic, either contained in medication or from an industrial or environmental source. These arise most often on the palms, soles, and inner surfaces of the finger and toes, and then enlarge and thicken, sometimes increasing in number.

Causes of Actinic Keratosis

Common causes of Actinic Keratosis

• Light complexions.
• Sun exposure( Ultraviolet B)
• Squamous cell carcinoma.
• Abnormalities in certain genes.
• Chemotherapy.
• Chronic leukemia.

Symptoms of Actinic Keratosis

Common Symptoms of Actinic Keratosis

• Dry textured skin lesion.
• Macule or patch and growth on the skin.
• Have a rough texture.
• Itch, burn, or sting.
• Lesions on your skin.

Treatment of Actinic Keratosis

The treatment for actinic keratoses depends upon the number and size of the lesions. An actinic keratosis is usually treated by liquid-nitrogen cryotherapy. In this therapy, the treatment selectively destroys actinic keratoses, causing little damage to surrounding normal skin, although some swelling often occurs. The excision of actinic keratoses is occasionally a useful and definitive treatment in selected lesions. Common Treatment of Actinic Keratosis

• Cryosurgery, one of the most common treatments done, freezes off lesions through application of liquid nitrogen.
• Photodynamic therapy is involves injecting a chemical into the bloodstream.
• Electrocautery is burning off AKs.
• Useful treatment is the application of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU).  The medication is rubbed on the keratoses for three to six weeks.  5-FU destroys sun-damaged skin cells.
• Use high-quality sunscreens, preferably with SPF (sun protection factor) ratings of at least 15.
• Chemical peels make use of acids (Jessners solution and/or trichloroacetic acid) applied all over the area.

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