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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 itchy or inflamed but usually recur after treatment.

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 HS. The Color Atlas and Synopsis of Family Medicine, 3rd ed. McGraw-Hill, 2019.)

A photo of a lightly pigmented, waxy, irregularly shaped growth on skin.
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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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Karadag  AS  et al. The status of the seborrheic keratosis. Clin Dermatol. 2018;36:275.
[PubMed: 29566932]  
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Wollina  U. Recent advances in managing and understanding seborrheic keratosis. F1000Res. 2019;8:F1000 Faculty Rev-1520.
[PubMed: 31508199]  

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