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6-07: Seborrheic Keratoses

Kanade Shinkai; Lindy P. Fox

Seborrheic keratoses are benign papules and plaques, beige to brown or even black, 3–20 mm in diameter, with a velvety or warty surface (Figure 6–4) (eFigure 6–6). They appear to be stuck or pasted onto the skin. They are extremely common—especially in older adults—and may be mistaken for melanomas or other types of cutaneous neoplasms. No treatment is needed. They may be frozen with liquid nitrogen or curetted if they itch or are inflamed, but they usually recur after treatment.

eFigure 6–6.

Seborrheic keratosis. (Reproduced, with permission, from Bondi EE, Jegasothy BV, Lazarus GS [editors]. Dermatology: Diagnosis & Treatment. Originally published by Appleton & Lange. Copyright © 1991 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.)

A photo illustrates seborrheic keratosis. A dark brown irregularly shaped growth is on a discolored skin surface.
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Figure 6–4.

Seborrheic keratosis with light pigmentation, with waxy, dry, “stuck-on appearance.” (Used, with permission, from Richard P. Usatine, MD, in Usatine RP, Smith MA, Mayeaux EJ Jr, Chumley H. The Color Atlas of Family Medicine, 2nd ed. McGraw-Hill, 2013.)

A photo of a lightly pigmented, waxy, irregularly shaped growth on skin.
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Karadag  AS  et al. The status of the seborrheic keratosis. Clin Dermatol. 2018 Mar–Apr;36(2):275–7.
[PubMed: 29566932]
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Ranasinghe  GC  et al. Managing seborrheic keratoses: evolving strategies for optimizing patient outcomes. J Drugs Dermatol. 2017 Nov 1;16(11):1064–8.
[PubMed: 29141054]

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