Understanding Keratosis and Possible Treatment
For many individuals itchy, dry skin is a natural occurrence during the winter months. However, when dermal tissue begins to develop rough, scaly patches it may signal the beginning of a more serious skin condition. In fact, this condition is serious enough the many doctors agree that keratosis could eventually progress into certain types of cancer.
In general, keratosis is a skin condition that is characterized by small patches of rough, dry skin. This patch can be completely flat or slightly raised and exists on the outermost dermal layer. In fact, these patches may often resemble warts in appearance, yet they are slightly larger.
Patches of dry skin may appear pink or brown in color; however, they may also simply match the color of the surrounding tissue as well. Common symptoms that patients report include itching and/or burning around the affected area.
The specific spots that form are known as keratoses and can be commonly found on the facial region, arms, scalp, neck, and back. In essence, these spots usually form on dermal areas that are frequently exposed to the sun.
While they may eventually go away on their own, keratoses often return after prolonged sun exposure. Individuals who are more susceptible to this condition include those over forty years of age, have histories of multiple sunburns, have lighter hair and eye colors, and have weak immune systems.
As with any other condition, the first step in receiving treatment is to visit your family physician. Healthcare professionals can answer any questions you may have regarding how to treat the condition and may ask further questions in order to understand how they can best meet your specific treatment needs.
Many doctors acknowledge the risk that keratoses can always turn into cancerous cells, so they usually treat patients by removing the tissue and performing a biopsy. This can usually be done in-office with the use of a local anesthetic.
Other treatment options may also include freezing the tissue off via the use of cryotherapy, scraping the cells off using the process of curettage, chemical peeling to blister tissue and encourage it to slough off, or laser therapy, which is used to remove the keratoses and underlying tissue.
Ultimately it is up to the patient and physician to decide upon the treatment method. In addition, patients should understand insurance may not cover all procedures, because they may be considered cosmetic in nature.
January 10, 2012 at 10:55 pm
