Actinic Keratosis

Actinic keratoses are precancerous growths which occur on the skin from sun exposure. Small, rough patches appear on the skin and are often raised slightly above the surface. The patches usually appear flat and scaly at first before growing larger and rougher to the touch. In some cases, actinic keratosis can develop into skin cancer. Multiple methods can be used to treat actinic keratosis, including liquid nitrogen, topical therapies, and photodynamic therapy (PDT). PDT destroys target skin cells while leaving the healthy skin cells undamaged.