Actinic Keratosis on an Arm
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Reproduced with permission from DermNetdermnetnz.org2023.
Actinic keratosis, also called solar keratosis, is usually due to too much sun exposure.
Reproduced with permission from © DermNetdermnetnz.org2023.
It can also be brought on by other factors such as radiation or arsenic exposure.
you’ve got the option to also develop keratoses along the rim of your ear.
In pictures of actinic keratosis, you’ll see they are typically pink, scaly, and flat.
Future FamDoc/Wikimedia Commons/CC-BY-SA-4.0
It’s also common to have harmless brown spots or “liver spots.”
Sometimes actinic keratoses can develop into an invasive and potentially disfiguring skin cancer called squamous cell carcinoma.
Actinic keratoses are premalignant lesions.
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From 1% to 10% will become squamous cell carcinomas.
Sometimes, the lesions get crusty.
They may turn pink or red, or just be the same color as your skin.
Future FamDoc/Wikimedia Commons/CC-BY-SA-4.0
This is an area of skin that tends to get a lot of sun exposure.
The brown spots in the photo are scaly and rough.
They can also bleed.
The Armed Forces Institute of Pathology/Wikimedia Commons
When you look at pictures of actinic keratoses close up, you might notice some different details about them.
For example, the lesions are initially flat and scaly on the surface and become slightly raised.
Over time, they become hard and wart-like or gritty, rough, and sandpapery.
M. Sand, D. Sand, C. Thrandorf, V. Paech, P. Altmeyer, F. G. Bechara/Wikimedia Commons/ CC-BY-2.0
It can also be smooth or scaly and usually appears on the face, particularly the cheeks.
A Spitz nevus is not harmful but may be difficult to differentiate from melanoma, even for experts.
Similarly, giant congenital nevi are major risk factors for melanoma.
Reproduced with permission from ©DermNet and ©Te Whatu Ora Waikatowww.dermnetnz.org2023.
In such cases, cancer usually appears by age 10.
Pictures of Psoriasis
Reproduced with permission from DermNet and Te Whatu Ora Waikatowww.dermnetnz.org2023.
Psoriasisis an autoimmune skin condition that can increase your risk of developingsquamous cell carcinoma.
Reproduced with permission from © DermNetdermnetnz.org2023.
Studies conflict on whether it has any effect on melanoma.
These patches are often very itchy and dry.
Pictures of Keratoacanthoma
Reproduced with permission from DermNet New Zealandwww.dermnetnz.org2023.
Reproduced with permission from © DermNet New Zealandwww.dermnetnz.org2023.
Keratoacanthomas are a low-grade subtype of squamous cell carcinoma.
The majority occur in sun-exposed skin, usually on the hands or face.
Most will spontaneously get better within 1 year, but they almost always scar after healing.
Get our printable guide for your next doctor’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
Removal by surgery, or sometimes by radiation, is recommended.
Get our printable guide for your next doctor’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
Summary
Most skin blemishes aren’t harmful.
Frequently Asked Questions
Actinic keratosis can look like other skin conditions, such as seborrheic keratosis.
Some types of skin cancer, like basal cell carcinomas, can also look like actinic keratosis.
Actinic keratosis and seborrheic keratosis can look similar but have some key differences.
They look kind of like a sticker someone stuck on their skin.
A seborrheic keratosis lesion usually feels rough but can be waxy.
Actinic keratosis tends to feel dry and crusty.
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American Osteopathic College of Dermatology.Spitz nevus.
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National Cancer Institute.Common moles, dysplastic nevi, and risk of melanoma.
Viana AC, Gontijo B, Bittencourt FV.Giant congenital melanocytic nevus [published correction appears in An Bras Dermatol.
2014 Jan-Feb;89(1):190].An Bras Dermatol.
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American Osteopathic College of Dermatology.Keratoacanthoma.
Marks JG, Miller JJ, Elsevier (Amsterdam).Lookingbill and Marks Principles of Dermatology.Elsevier; 2019.
