Comment On Dermoscopic Features of Seborrheic Keratoses Following Cryotherapy

Abstract

ABSTRACT Seborrheic keratosis (SK) is the most common benign tumor in older indi viduals. Freezing with liquid nitrogen has been widely used as a method of treatment. In one of our patients treated with cryotherapy, follow-up der moscopical image of the lesion raised a concern for regressing malignant lesion in the post treatment period. Information on the dermoscopy of SK treated with cryotherapy was not available. Consequently, we gathered and retrospectively analysed the pictures taken during healing periods of four SK without choosing a specific type. Besides dermoscopic structures specific for SK, coarse and fine gray granules arranged in a linear or annular pattern were also noted. These features have been reported in various malignant tumors before. Most of the time, clinical diagnosis of SK is not an issue; although rarely though rare malignant transformation of SK has been re ported. Furthermore, SK may be found with another malignant condition as a collision tumor. Consequently, we think all the dermoscopic features presented are compatible with cryotherapy induced lichenoid keratosis like lesions. As a conclusion, it is important to know and document the dermo scopic findings that occur in the post-cryotherapy healing period to prevent an impression of misdiagnosis or inadequeate therapy.