Actinic keratosis: how to differentiate the good from the bad ones?
The most useful features for identifying keratosis depend on the specific type you are looking at, as they vary from benign "age spots" to precancerous sun damage. Seborrheic Keratosis (Common Benign Growth) keratosis
: They look like they were dripped onto the skin like candle wax and could be easily scraped off. Waxy/Greasy Texture : Surface often feels waxy or scaly. Actinic keratosis: how to differentiate the good from
Only 1 study (meta-analysis) examined the percentage of malignant transformation and found a rate between 0.025% and 20% per year/ National Institutes of Health (.gov) Seborrheic keratosis - Symptoms & causes - Mayo Clinic Waxy/Greasy Texture : Surface often feels waxy or scaly
: A doctor using a dermatoscope may look for milia-like cysts (white clods) or a cerebriform pattern that resembles the surface of a brain. Actinic Keratosis (Precancerous Sun Damage)