| 02.2 | ACTINIC KERATOSIS |
Focus of general dermatology |
Actinic (solar) keratosis is a stubborn cornification disorder of the skin, which can develop after long-term exposure to high levels of UV light in people with fair skin. The symptoms usually appear in the face and the back of the hand and present very early forms of white skin cancer (so-called precancerous cells).
Actinic keratosis can be treated outstandingly with a series of modern therapy processes and with very good results. This includes new localised therapies which activate the skin's immune system (e. g. immune response modifier) as well as a combination of ointments and red light (photodynamic therapy (PDT)), allowing for targeted abnormal cells to be destroyed.
The diagnosis and therapy of actinic keratosis forms a clinical and scientific focus of the DERMATOLOGIKUM HAMBURG (Volker Steinkraus, Aktinische Keratosen [Actinic Keratosis], Springer 2004).
