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Question
20 Sep 2007
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Flakey lumps on skin
I am a 68 year old male in general good health. For the last five or six years I have developed a few brown flakey lumps on my skin. They are generally about 5-10mm in diameter. My doctor dismissed them as part of the aging process. I wasn't too concerned at first, but recently one appeared on the visible part of my scalp. Last year I had squamous (I think that is what it was called) skin cancer removed from my scalp, which tends to add to my concern. As I don't want to end up looking like a toad, the question is: what causes these lumps and Is there any treatment for the condition?
CyberDoc
Dear Bob
this is called an actinic keratosis or a solar keratosis and is often caused by years of sundamage. They are considered pre-cancerous and needs to be removed by freezing as 10-15% can develop into squamous skin cancer. Best would be to see a dermatologist.
See also: http://dermnetnz.org/lesions/solar-keratoses.html
Dr Bets
this is called an actinic keratosis or a solar keratosis and is often caused by years of sundamage. They are considered pre-cancerous and needs to be removed by freezing as 10-15% can develop into squamous skin cancer. Best would be to see a dermatologist.
See also: http://dermnetnz.org/lesions/solar-keratoses.html
Dr Bets
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