Acquired hereditary and senile keratosis (keratoma) are types of non-inflammatory disease that spreads to the patient’s skin. Such a disease is attributed to a serious cosmetic problem, which damages the skin and adversely affects the general appearance of a person. The benign nature of the formation during keratosis can quickly change to malignant.
Definition of keratosis
Keratosis of the skin is the combination of all dermatological diseases that are distinguished by their non-inflammatory nature. The disease leads to the appearance of a dense pink ball on the surface of the skin, greatly slows down the process of exfoliation of the skin. A photo of senile keratosis of the skin and treatment is presented below.
With the growth of solid cells, such a disease can provoke the appearance of unpleasant symptoms, the formation of cracks, ulcers with released blood, burning and severe itching. The main causes of keratosis include the following factors:
- heredity;
- age-related changes in the human body, which lead to the appearance of an aging form of lesion;
- infectious diseases;
- problems with the functioning of the nervous system;
- disturbances in the functioning of the endocrine system;
- lack of beneficial microelements and vitamins in the body;
- cancerous damage to internal organs in humans;
- various types of exposure from the outside: chemical components, mechanical stress and ultraviolet.
The main varieties and forms of damage
Hereditary keratosis can be of the following forms:
- Ichthyosis - problems with hardening of the skin. This condition always manifests itself in a variety of ways - from a small husking to the development of scales on the skin.
- Follicular keratosis - the lesion forms in the hair follicle, while their cork hardens and the hair stops growing normally.
- Keratoderma of the heels and palms - spreads symmetrically in the horny layers and skin integuments.
- Mibelli's porokeratosis is the formation on the skin of nodes of a gray hue with a cone shape.
- Congenital polykeratosis - includes several forms of keratosis, which can provoke problems with the functioning of the nervous system and other lesions.
The acquired form of keratosis is classified into:
- infectious - occurs against a background of various sexually transmitted diseases, with pulmonary tuberculosis;
- symptomatic - occurs with problems with the endocrine system and other disorders in the functioning of the central nervous system;
- para-oncological - accompanies various diseases of malignant organs;
- professional - occurs when mechanical, chemical and reactive factors are exposed to the body;
- mechanical - on the hands and feet there are a large number of corns;
- vitamin - appears when the human body lacks fat-splitting vitamins.
Senile keratosis of the skin is divided into the following types:
- Age - occurs at the onset of significant age-related changes in the body that begin against the background of aging, including problems with the functioning of the sebaceous glands.
- Actinic - described by increased exposure to ultraviolet light.
- Seborrheic form - on the skin of a person there are many formations that are similar in shape to moles and warts. They can be of different types: age spots, moles, various formations. Such moles can appear on any part of the body, excluding the palms and feet.
Danger of disease degeneration
Skin keratosis and cancer are directly dependent on each other. Keratoma formations are inherently benign in nature, but in some cases they degenerate into a malignant form. Neoplasms of this type are very difficult to distinguish. It is almost impossible to detect cancer or keratosis in humans using the visual method.
To do this, use a histological examination, which helps to determine the type of keratoma. A very common keratosis may indicate the presence of cancer in the internal organs of a person. According to statistics, out of 9 thousand patients with keratoma, 900 were diagnosed with skin cancer. A photo of senile keratosis of the skin can be viewed below.
Symptoms of the disease
The most common sign of senile keratosis (or senile keratoma) is the formation that forms in open areas of the body, for example, on the back, chest and forearms. In some cases, the formations also extend to the neck, head and arms. In size, such a seal can vary from 1 millimeter to a couple of centimeters.
Often the tumor is distinguished by its round shape and does not have pronounced boundaries. The spots on the skin can be painted in pink and yellow up to dark brown and black shades. They also have a rough surface under the film, with physical exposure, blood begins to come out of it. When the film is densified, the edges of keratomas change to an irregular shape.
The main complications
Treatment of senile keratosis of the skin can last quite a while. The neglected form of such a disease can provoke dangerous complications that adversely affect a person's vital activity.
The most common complications include:
- Rebirth to a malignant form. Keratoma can change to a malignant nature, which will lead to life-threatening consequences.
- Problems with the endocrine system.
- Start tooth loss. Such a complication can occur with a congenital form of polykeratosis.
- Microbial eczema is an inflammatory process in the skin.
Diagnostic measures
To determine the form of the disease and prescribe a comprehensive and effective treatment, you should use the following diagnostics:
- Check with a dermatologist. The doctor will conduct an external examination of the patient, evaluate the general condition of the skin.
- Histological examination. Such a study is important to conduct in cases of suspected malignant degeneration of the tumor and before surgery.
- Dermatoscopy - examination of the skin with a special device with the possibility of increasing.
- Biopsy - collecting patient biomaterial from a diseased part of the body to determine the form of the disease.
- Ultrasound examination - identification of the severity and total depth of the lesion.
Medicines and Diet
At the risk of changes in keratosis in humans before a cancerous tumor, patients are prescribed cytostatic drugs that inhibit the viability of cancer cells, as well as a course of antibiotics that will help prevent the spread of the secondary infection process. In addition, creams and ointments should be used, which provide emollient and exfoliating effects - Diclofenac, Solcoderm and fluorouracil ointment.
Also, patients should adhere to a special diet, which will contain a large amount of food with vitamins A, B and C in the composition, as well as fats. In order to monitor the water balance in the human body and provide the skin with normal humidity, it is important to observe the correct drinking regimen.
Ways to remove education:
- Cryodestruction. During the procedure, a frozen portion of the body is frozen with liquid nitrogen. This technique is applicable to single keratomas.
- Removal by laser. Sore areas are eliminated using a laser beam.
- Electrocoagulation Formations are eliminated by an electric knife. Best used for small formations.
- Photodynamic therapy. By this method is meant the use of an antibacterial agent and exposure to the affected area of the light wave, which leads to the spread of tissue necrosis.
- Curettage. This method is used for follicular keratosis. In this case, the bag with the hair follicle is scraped out.
- Surgical intervention. It is used for extensive lesions, as well as for the removal of neighboring tissues, in which there is a risk of transition to a malignant degree.
- Chemical peeling. With this treatment method, trichloroacetic acid is used.
Home treatment
Treatment of keratosis with a small area of damage to the house can be carried out only after consultation with a dermatologist. Aloe is the most popular folk remedy for the treatment of senile keratosis on the nose and other parts of the face. To eliminate the neoplasm, you should rub the juice of such a culture and put compresses with a chilled leaf, which will help eliminate the unpleasant symptoms of the disease.
The treatment also uses walnuts, which significantly slows the growth of tumors. Celandine juice will help reduce their size. If a person has an unpleasant burning sensation, then a good therapeutic effect can be achieved with the help of herbal baths.
Other folk recipes
Before treating keratosis at home, you should go to the doctor's office, which will help to exclude the development of the cancer process. To eliminate focal keratosis with folk remedies, propolis should be used. For this, propolis is applied in a thin layer on the tumor formation, covered with gauze and left for several days. After that, renew the propolis layer and apply a new gauze napkin. The procedure should be repeated about three times.
Onion husk is another effective way to fight keratosis. To do this, take 4 tablespoons of husk and rinse with hot water. Dry the husk, place in an opaque dish and pour 250 milliliters of vinegar. The finished mixture is infused for 14 days. The finished product should be filtered and applied to the diseased parts of the body for thirty minutes. Over time, the procedure should be brought up to 3 hours.
Basic preventive measures
To avoid the active development of the disease, it is important to follow certain rules. The sun's rays adversely affect the skin of a person, so it is important not to be in the sun for a long time (sunbathe in the morning or in the evening), apply protective creams without fail, and protect exposed skin. It is also important to regularly examine the skin in order to timely detect the presence of formations, if such already exist, it is important to determine their size, shape and shade.
To protect the surface of the skin, experts advise to abandon the use of cosmetics, which contain aggressive chemical components. You should also choose the right clothes, underwear and shoes, so that none of the wardrobe items does not restrict movement, does not rub. Since bad habits and a wrong lifestyle can lead to the appearance of keratoma, it is important to change your attitude to food and reconsider your views on your life.
The main varieties of senile keratosis
Doctors classify different types depending on the structure of education. Specialists of other countries distinguish the following 6 forms of histological tumor:
- acantholytic species - characteristic destruction of the prickly layer of the skin;
- reticular or adenoid type - while the glands of the skin increase;
- papillomatous or hyperkeratotic type - enhances the process of exfoliating the upper layer of the skin;
- clonal type - leads to the appearance of a large number of new cells of the basal layer of the skin;
- inflammatory type - provokes the appearance of an inflammatory process;
- irritated type - traumatic keratomas appear on the skin.
In addition to the types of formations listed above, there are also 2 types of keratomas: adamantoid, in which a large amount of mucin accumulates in the intercellular spaces, and keratomas according to the type when the cells of the basal layer line up in the same order.
Development reasons
The causes of the formation of senile keratomas are not fully understood. This condition is characterized by the multiplicative nature of the disease. Keratomas form with strong insolation, the penetration of a viral infection into the body, with problems with the state of the immune system. Genetic cases of the development of senile keratosis of the skin are also common, that is, they can arise as a result of hereditary disorders in the development of the disease.
In medical practice, any form of keratoma is considered a precancerous process and needs to be observed and monitored by a doctor. This can be explained: skin cancer often resembles senile keratomas and can form in the limit of neoplasm, disguising itself as normal tissue. The risk of transformation of keratoma into a malignant form is very low.
The appearance of a large number of keratomas on the human body may indicate the presence of a cancerous process in the internal organs - Lezer-Trel syndrome.
Conclusion
The risk of conversion of senile keratoma to a malignant tumor is minimal. It is important to independently or under the supervision of a specialist carefully monitor the state of the neoplasm. Keratomas in rare cases pass independently, after removal, a small scar may remain.