Solar Keratosis (Actinic keratosis)

Actinic keratosis (also called “solar keratosis” and “senile keratosis”) is a premalignant condition of thick, scaly, or crusty patches of skin. It is more common in fair-skinned people. It is associated with those who are frequently exposed to the sun, as it is usually accompanied by solar damage. Since some of these pre-cancers progress to squamous cell carcinoma, they should be treated. Untreated lesions have up to twenty percent risk of progression to squamous cell carcinoma.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a form of cancer of the carcinoma type that may occur in many different organs, including the skin, lips, mouth, esophagus, urinary bladder, prostate, lungs, vagina, and cervix. It is a malignant tumor of squamous epithelium (epithelium that shows squamous cell differentiation).

Hair Follicle Cyst (Trichilemmal cyst)

A trichilemmal cyst (also known as a “wen”, a “Pilar cyst” and “Isthmus-catagen cyst”) is a common fluid-filled growth (cyst) that forms from a hair follicle. They are most often found on the scalp. The cysts are smooth and mobile, filled with keratin (a protein component found in hair, nails, and skin), and they may or may not be tender. Pilar cysts may run in families. Rarely, these cysts may grow more extensively and form rapidly multiplying (proliferating) pilar tumors (also called proliferating trichilemmal cysts), which are non-cancerous (benign) but may grow aggressively at the cyst site. Very rarely, pilar cysts can become cancerous.