There are different types of benign neoplasms. Each of them has its own nature of origin and is formed from a certain type of tissue, and also has its own place of localization. Any person will be justifiably concerned about neoplasms on the skin, not only in terms of functional inconvenience and aesthetically unattractive appearance, but also in terms of possible malignancy of the tumor and its degeneration into cancer.
Keratomas belong to such neoplasms. Not everyone knows what a keratoma is and how to treat it. The largest number of people in whom they are found falls on citizens whose age exceeds 50 years. And both sexes are affected. But there is also a percentage of morbidity among young people. So, according to studies, it was found that in 20-year-olds, keratomas are present in 11% of cases.
Among people of 30 years of age, experts found 25% of the owners of formations. In hot Australia after 40 years of keratomaappear in about 45% of people, and in rainy Britain, only 15% of cases fall at the same age. So, what different types of keratomas look like, photos and treatment of such tumors - all this is described below.
Based on the different characteristics and nature of the origin of tumors, experts use different terms to define the type of tumor. One such term is "keratoma". The term is used as a general term for various types of benign skin lesions. Keratoma is a short description of an epithelial neoplasm, showing the location of the tumor.
This term is made up of two parts. The first part is the Greek word "keratos", meaning the cells of the keratinizing epithelium. The second part of the word "keratoma" is the suffix "oma", denoting the word "tumor". In general, this term cannot be called accurate, because it does not reflect the specifics and features of each type of benign tumor. Therefore, the concept of "keratoma" is equivalent to the diseases "myoma", "lipoma", since they all have a common nature of origin - they are formed from epithelial tissue, that is, from the same cells, therefore they have a common name - "keratoma". A photo of such an education is presented below.
How does the epithelium "work"?
Epithelium is a multi-layered keratinizing tissue, which is formed by the so-called keratinocytes. In its structure, it has several cell layers that lie on top of each other. The freshest cells are born at the basalepithelial membrane, in depth. The cells of the outer layer, in contact with the external environment, die off a little bit, transforming into scales, and exfoliate when we wash ourselves. After exfoliation of old scales, they are replaced by new cells from the epithelium, which were previously in the deep layers. After some period, they also become keratinized, die off and exfoliate. Thus, skin cells are constantly renewed.
How does a keratoma occur?
During the normal functioning of the human body, the rate of the process of cell formation and their exfoliation at the end of the life cycle is balanced. In other words, the number of cells that is necessary to replace the old keratinized scales reappears. In case of violations in the body, this system fails, and the balance of cell generation and exfoliation is disturbed, which ultimately leads to the appearance of various skin diseases.
In such cases, benign tumors occur, which doctors call the common word "keratoma". If cells from the epithelium are prone to excessive keratinization, then they do not have time to exfoliate in time, an overlay occurs - and this is how a tumor appears. It turns out that such a tumor consists of a huge number of keratinocytes - cells that form normal layers of the epithelium. People of retirement age are predisposed to such a disease, since their body system can malfunction, so senile keratoma can occur. A photo of such a keratoma is presented above.
In people over 50, depending on the region of residence, the percentageprevalence is different, but certainly high - from 80 to 100%. Interestingly, senile keratoma can also occur in fairly young people. At 30, it can occur due to thinning of the epidermal tissue by 10%.
Can a keratoma turn into cancer?
Since keratomas are formations consisting of normal cells, that is, those that have expansive growth, and not invasive (as in malignant tumors), they belong to benign forms of tumors. But it should be borne in mind that this type of benign tumor can become malignant, that is, become malignant.
According to statistics, it is believed that this can happen in 8-20% of cases. This will depend on the type of tumor, the state of he alth and various negative factors that contribute to the formation of "wrong" cells. Since there is a possibility of transformation of a keratoma into cancer, these neoplasms are referred to as a precancerous condition. But there is no need to be afraid of keratomas, since they are rarely reborn into cancerous tumors.
Keratoma of the skin, photos, symptoms and treatment
Such a neoplasm can be single or multiple. Most often, keratomas occur on the upper limbs and much less often on the lower ones. Possible places of localization of such a formation: face, neck, arms, torso, upper parts of the legs. This is explained by the fact that these parts of the body are most exposed to sunlight. In any case, this is one of the possible reasons for the formation of such tumors, since beforethe end of the cause of the disease is not known.
At the same time, scientists identify a number of predisposing factors for the development of this pathological process. This may be a hereditary predisposition or long-term exposure to ultraviolet radiation without any skin protection, age-related changes and / or deficiency of vitamins and minerals in the body, as well as too much animal fat in the body. A rarer option is the result of a complication after dermatological diseases. In general, the occurrence of keratomas may indicate a predisposition of the body to oncological processes.
Keratoma classification
According to the classification, experts divide the following types:
- seborrheic keratoma, the photo of which is presented below;
- senile keratoma;
- actinic (solar) keratoma, divided into papular, erythematous, papillomatous, horny, pigmented and proliferative;
- follicular keratoma.
Signs of skin keratoma
Based on the classification of existing types of tumors, the specific symptoms of the disease and the nature of their development will be different. In general terms, the symptoms of skin keratoma are as follows.
After the appearance, each keratoma has the appearance of a slightly protruding spot above the skin, painted in a grayish color. Its surface is usually flaky due to the appearance and exfoliation of a huge number of scales. Gradually, the size of the spot increases,acquiring volume, and protrudes more above the surface of the skin.
If the keratoma is large, it forms a dense crust of keratinized tissue, because of this it can be accidentally hooked, violating its integrity. If injury is allowed, then the keratoma hurts and bleeds, causing discomfort. Usually these benign formations do not bring problems, except for aesthetic ones, but there are exceptions.
Seborrheic keratoma
The neoplasm data will always be multiple and different in size. The color is from black to dark brown. In the process of human development, itching begins to bother, in addition, the keratoma begins to hurt. Around the growth, peeling begins to be observed. These growths sometimes fall off, and this can lead to the development of infections.
Seborrheic keratoma refers to the form of a benign tumor that can degenerate into a malignant form of the disease.
Senile keratoma
Like seborrheic keratoma, senile is multiple. Often they are grouped together. The growths are white to gray in color, and there are often plaques. Their locations are the face and neck. The growths only occasionally itch and peel off. Most often, this form of keratoma affects people over 30 years old.
Corny keratoma (skin horn)
The name of the tumor immediately makes it clear what this neoplasm looks like. It really resembles the shape of a horn. The color of the growth is dark and rises above the surface of the skin by more than 5millimeters. Around the neoplasm, the skin turns red, it can itch and burn. Horny keratoma is also included in the form of a tumor that can become malignant and develop into cancer.
Follicular keratoma
This keratoma is nodular and appears in a single amount. The color can be from pinkish to gray, and its diameter is not more than two centimeters. Places of localization are the head area and upper lip. This disease is more common in women and refers to the form of the tumor, which rarely degenerates into cancer.
Solar keratoma
Solar keratoma always manifests itself as multiple spots that tend to cluster. The places of their manifestation can be the upper body, which is most exposed to ultraviolet radiation - the chest, back, shoulders, arms and less often the upper legs.
From above, these neoplasms can be covered with scales and sometimes itch. The risk group for solar keratoma includes men who have crossed the 40-year mark. Solar keratoma is able to regenerate cancer. The transition to a squamous cell type of skin cancer is likely if there was a traumatization of the formation with further infection.
Keratoma - what is it and how to treat it?
Since similar neoplasms are similar in appearance, it is rather difficult to differentiate them, and, accordingly, it is not easy to determine their possible transformation into skin cancer. Therefore, they should be monitored and once every six months, turning to specialists, conduct an examination. Do not put off going to the dermatologist for a long time. If the keratoma does not manifest itself in any way, then there is no particular reason for concern, especially if a dermatologist is examined a couple of times a year, but if, on the contrary, rapid growth, a burning sensation and itching began to be noted, if the formation began to bleed or around the growth or spot numbness is visible, you should immediately consult a doctor.
The main treatment is the removal of skin keratoma. A photo of the treatment is presented in the article. Next, a histological examination of the removed tissue is performed, or a biopsy of the neoplasm site (knife or scarification biopsy).
If it is established that the tumor is a benign form - a keratoma, then it can be removed with liquid nitrogen or electrodiathermy (electrocoagulation). But these methods completely destroy the keratoma tissue, and in the future it is not possible to conduct any research. Therefore, before applying these removal methods, you need to be absolutely sure of its good quality.
In modern medicine, a sparing laser is used to destroy keratomas, which does not leave any scars behind and does not touch the surrounding tissues. This is considered the best method, but it, like the nitrogen method and the electrodiathermic method, requires complete confidence in the good quality of the formation, as it destroys the tissue.
But the traditional surgical method, scalping, is used very rarely today, since after it it can remainscar. When a reddish spot remains under the detached crust after removal of the main build-up, then for some time it is necessary to apply an ointment to improve the regeneration and epithelization of the area.
The next method of getting rid of an unaesthetic disease is the use of the Surgitron apparatus. This is the destruction of the build-up by the radio wave method. As a rule, the procedure does not require any anesthesia, and after using the device, a scar rarely remains. Another advantage of the radio wave method is the possibility of further histological analysis.
Some are wondering if it is possible to get rid of keratoma at home using folk methods. The answer to this question is that it is not possible to completely remove the formation at home. At home, you can only comprehensively supplement the basic treatment with folk methods. In this case, you should try compresses with aloe juice or a decoction of onion peel at night, or use castor oil. It must be rubbed at the site of the appearance of keratomas. You can also wipe this place with a swab, after wetting it in heated vegetable oil. Potato lotions will be good.
Wounds must be properly treated with an antiseptic. When using compresses, you should apply an antibacterial ointment and include foods rich in vitamin C in the diet for the period of skin recovery, or use vitamins with its content.
