Senile warts are extremely
common harmless skin lesions that appear during adult life. Senile
warts may also be called seborrhoeic
Other names are basal cell papillomas and brown warts.
Senile warts often begin as
slightly raised light brown spots or papules. They may remain very flat
but they may gradually thicken and develop a rough, warty surface. In
many cases they slowly darken and may eventually turn black. These
colour changes are harmless. Many senile warts retain a pinkish colour.
Typical for senile warts are the small keratin plugs that can be seen
on the surface of the wart.
The cause of seborrhoeic
keratoses is not known. They are generally considered to be
degenerative in nature, appearing in larger numbers in the course of
the skin aging process. It is supposed that UV light exposure increases
the possibility for development of seborrhoeic keratoses.
Eruptive senile warts may denote an underlying internal malignancy
(sign of Leser-Trelat). This condition however is very rare.
Treatment of seborrhoeic keratoses is
easy. They can be removed by curettage, cryotherapy or laser surgery.
The choice of treatment depends mainly on the size, thickness and
location of the wart.
Recurrence of lesions after treatment is possible.