Question:I am a 62 year old woman. About ten years ago I started developing tiny, flat wart-like growths. I remember asking a dermatologist about them and he just shook his head and said “you will never get rid of them.” Do you have any idea what may be causing these growths? Dr. Hibberd Responds:Your skin growths sound like benign non-cancerous keratoses. There is no preventing them, but they are easily removed by superficial scraping. Often, your doctor will desiccate (dry) them to stop any bleeding.
Have these skin lesions identified to be sure, then relax. Removal is usually regarded as a cosmetic procedure unless they bleed, catch on clothing, are irritated, or change in appearance. Melanomas (the bad skin cancer), Squamous and basal cell skin cancers should be looked for in your skin exam.
Although infectious skin conditions are common, your description does not sound like the usual viral, bacterial or parasitic presentation. If there is any question, a scraping or biopsy should be sent for cellular identification by a pathologist.
Peter Hibberd is a medical doctor with over 28 years of outpatient and hospital-inpatient experience. He is board certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine and is a member of the American College of Emergency Physicians. He also is a member and a fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians.
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