Where are Seborrhoeic Keratoses located

Basically they can be found all over the body and are often found on the chest and abdomen, the back, head and neck and even on arms and legs.

A Seborrhoeic Keratosis rarely occurs alone. When one is found, it often has several 'satellite' ones in the same area. However, this is not due to infection or them truly 'spreading' contagiously.

What actually happens is that the factors causing the skin to change to produce the first Seborrhoeic Keratosis usually affect the skin the same way, in the same area. As such the whole of the area reacts the same way, and multiple Seborrhoeic Keratoses grow.

Are Seborrhoeic Keratoses dangerous?

The simple answer is no. They do look unsightly but if left alone, they will not cause any harm. However, the downside of leaving them alone is that they do continue to grow, increasing in size, getting darker and more crusty - although this is a very slow process.

Does a Seborrhoeic Keratosis represent an underlying medical problem?

Once again the answer is no. A Seborrhoeic Keratosis is a simple and local abnormality of the skin and is not related to any underlying medical problem.

Can a Seborrhoeic Keratosis be mistaken for anything else?

A simple Seborrhoeic Keratosis is very obvious. Occasionally if the crusty surface is not very well formed and if the spot is dark, it can be mistaken for a melanoma or mole. For this reason if there is any doubt, your doctor may advise you to have it removed by a simple local anaesthetic surgical procedure. The lesion (medical term for the tissue that is removed) would then be sent off for specialist examination called histology.

Fortunately this is quite uncommon and, almost always, a Seborrhoeic Keratosis can be diagnosed and safely removed without the need for surgery or histology.