Prevalence of actinic keratosis in patients attending the dermatology outpatient clinic

Abstract

Actinic keratoses (AKs) are precancerous epidermal lesions that develop on sensitive, frequently sun-exposed skin surfaces. There are very little data regarding AK prevalance. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of AK and related conditions among patients in a dermatology outpatient clinic. Patients attending our dermatology outpatient clinic between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2017 were evaluated retrospectively usingan automated system. A total of 54,786 patients aged ≥30 years attending the dermatology outpatient clinic were included in the study. We identified 1375 patients diagnosed with AK. In our study, the AK prevalence was 0.01% for patients between 30 and 39 years of age, 0.45% for patients between 40 and 49 years of age, 1.77% for patients between 50 and 59 years of age, 4.61% for patients between 60 and 69 years of age, 9.38% for patients between 70 and 79 years of age, and 14.57% for patients ≥80 years. AK prevalence was 2.50% among patients of all ages. The exposure to sunlight is excessive due to the geographical location of our country. Due to the tendency of AKs to convert to malignancies, the identification of patients at high risk for AK development and the identification of high-risk anatomical regions are important to establish the basis of effective screening programs to support public health.

A feasibility study of microwave therapy for precancerous actinic keratosis

“…The participants in this study were representative of the patient population with AK, with a median age of 78 years and majority male (64%). An increased prevalence of AK with advancing age and male sex has been noted in both primary and secondary care . Importantly, there was no difference in response with sex, age or skin site.…”

Patient‐reported outcomes of topical therapies in actinic keratosis: A systematic review

“…Fluorouracil acts by inhibiting thymidylate synthetase limiting DNA synthesis and causing cell death. [2][3][4] Imiquimod is an immune response modifier which activates Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR-7), causing the release of cytokines by epidermal and dermal dendritic cells; imiquimod also modulates the response of natural killer cells (NKs) and B-lymphocytes. Ingenol mebutate disrupts plasma membranes and mitochondria and induces neutrophil-mediated cellular cytotoxicity.…”

“…The latter include photodynamic therapy (PDT) and topical treatments such as 5‐fluorouracil, imiquimod, ingenol mebutate, diclofenac, and piroxicam; they are typically used for treating areas with multiple AKs or clinical evidence of field cancerization. Fluorouracil acts by inhibiting thymidylate synthetase limiting DNA synthesis and causing cell death 2‐4 . Imiquimod is an immune response modifier which activates Toll‐like receptor 7 (TLR‐7), causing the release of cytokines by epidermal and dermal dendritic cells; imiquimod also modulates the response of natural killer cells (NKs) and B‐lymphocytes.…”

“…Imiquimod is an immune response modifier which activates Toll‐like receptor 7 (TLR‐7), causing the release of cytokines by epidermal and dermal dendritic cells; imiquimod also modulates the response of natural killer cells (NKs) and B‐lymphocytes. Ingenol mebutate disrupts plasma membranes and mitochondria and induces neutrophil‐mediated cellular cytotoxicity 2‐4 . Both piroxicam and diclofenac inhibit cyclooxygenase enzymes (COX‐1 and COX‐2).…”

Management of Actinic Keratoses

“…Many practitioners prefer treating AKs with Actinic keratoses (AKs) are premalignant lesions which affect people who have had chronic exposure to sun. The prevalence significantly increases with age, primarily targeting those 40-years-old and older [1]. Clinically, actinic keratoses can either regress, stabilize, or transform into squamous cell carcinoma [2].…”