Actinic keratosis. Features of pathogenesis, modern approaches to diagnosis and therapy

Actinic keratosis (AK, solar keratosis) is a common chronic skin disease that develops as a result of intraepidermal proliferation of atypical keratinocytes and is the precursor of squamous cell skin carcinoma (SCSC). Most often AK is localized on the skin areas exposed to long-term insolation and is usually a flat erythematosquamous plaque or spot with white or yellowish scales on the surface, slightly painful when scraping. Skin cancer incidence occupies the first place among all malignant neoplasms in the Russian Federation. The problem of AK occurrence can be faced by doctor of any specialty. Lesions in AK require timely diagnosis and treatment due to their potential transformation into invasive squamous cell carcinoma. However, the etiology and mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of AK are not fully studied, clinical recommendations and patient management algorithms are not developed, therefore this disease is a topical problem in dermatovenereology. The article discusses the features of AK etiology and pathogenesis, clinical and dermatoscopic characteristics of this disease, as well as modern approaches to its treatment.