What are AKs?
More than 10 million Americans have precancerous lesions called actinic keratoses or AKs. AKs, often called "sun spots", are abnormal collections of cells caused by excessive exposure to ultraviolet light (UV) such as sunlight. One of the most common conditions treated in the dermatology office, AKs are usually manifested as rough-textured, dry, scaly patches on the skin.
AKs can appear fairly subtly as just a pink-red scaling patch of skin. They are very common in areas repeatedly exposed to the sun such as the back of hands, forearms, face, and bald scalp. They are especially common in fair-skinned persons or those who have worked outdoors for long periods without skin protection.
The reason it is important to recognize and treat AKs is that when left untreated, a small portion of the growths will develop into a type of skin cancer known as a squamous cell carcinoma. Squamous cell carcinomas can become quite serious and require surgical removal. The risk of squamous cell carcinoma occurring in a patient with more than ten actinic keratoses is about 10 to 15%.
Traditional Treatment
The good news is that AKs are usually quite easily recognized by the dermatologist and are easily treated. When they occur in isolation, the most common method of removal is freezing them off, a procedure known as cryotherapy. Liquid nitrogen causes blistering and shedding of the sun damaged skin. AKs treated with this way can take up to 2-3 weeks to resolve. A light freeze usually leaves no scar, but longer freeze times (which are necessary for thicker lesions) result in a pale mark or scar.
Newer Treatments
Recently, dermatologists have started to expand their arsenal to treat AKs beyond just freezing. We now often will treat and entire area, such as the face or forearm, to remove all obvious AKs along with the microscopic ones that would have presented later in time. To accomplish this we either use a topical cream (5-Fluorouracil or Diclofenac) or a light based procedure called PDT.
5-Fluorouracil cream is applied onto the skin once or twice daily for two to four weeks. The treated areas become red, raw and uncomfortable during treatment. Healing starts when the cream is discontinued, and the eventual result is usually excellent.
PDT, or photodynamic therapy, is the most exciting new development in the treatment of AKs. The treatment involves applying to the affected area a type of chemical that makes the skin sensitive to light (photosensitizer), and then after the application of the chemical, exposure to a strong light, known as a blue light [http://www.usdermatology-mg.com/services/dusa_blue_light.html]. The treated areas will become red, raw and uncomfortable but often heal within 10 days. The result is similar to application of the 5-FU cream, but uses a short in-office procedure to replace the 3 weeks of home application leading to less down-time.
More than 10 million Americans have precancerous lesions called actinic keratoses or AKs. AKs, often called "sun spots", are abnormal collections of cells caused by excessive exposure to ultraviolet light (UV) such as sunlight. One of the most common conditions treated in the dermatology office, AKs are usually manifested as rough-textured, dry, scaly patches on the skin.
AKs can appear fairly subtly as just a pink-red scaling patch of skin. They are very common in areas repeatedly exposed to the sun such as the back of hands, forearms, face, and bald scalp. They are especially common in fair-skinned persons or those who have worked outdoors for long periods without skin protection.
The reason it is important to recognize and treat AKs is that when left untreated, a small portion of the growths will develop into a type of skin cancer known as a squamous cell carcinoma. Squamous cell carcinomas can become quite serious and require surgical removal. The risk of squamous cell carcinoma occurring in a patient with more than ten actinic keratoses is about 10 to 15%.
Traditional Treatment
The good news is that AKs are usually quite easily recognized by the dermatologist and are easily treated. When they occur in isolation, the most common method of removal is freezing them off, a procedure known as cryotherapy. Liquid nitrogen causes blistering and shedding of the sun damaged skin. AKs treated with this way can take up to 2-3 weeks to resolve. A light freeze usually leaves no scar, but longer freeze times (which are necessary for thicker lesions) result in a pale mark or scar.
Newer Treatments
Recently, dermatologists have started to expand their arsenal to treat AKs beyond just freezing. We now often will treat and entire area, such as the face or forearm, to remove all obvious AKs along with the microscopic ones that would have presented later in time. To accomplish this we either use a topical cream (5-Fluorouracil or Diclofenac) or a light based procedure called PDT.
5-Fluorouracil cream is applied onto the skin once or twice daily for two to four weeks. The treated areas become red, raw and uncomfortable during treatment. Healing starts when the cream is discontinued, and the eventual result is usually excellent.
PDT, or photodynamic therapy, is the most exciting new development in the treatment of AKs. The treatment involves applying to the affected area a type of chemical that makes the skin sensitive to light (photosensitizer), and then after the application of the chemical, exposure to a strong light, known as a blue light [http://www.usdermatology-mg.com/services/dusa_blue_light.html]. The treated areas will become red, raw and uncomfortable but often heal within 10 days. The result is similar to application of the 5-FU cream, but uses a short in-office procedure to replace the 3 weeks of home application leading to less down-time.