Benign Skin Tumors Symptoms & Diagnosis

Symptoms

Seborrheic keratosis:

• Can be located anywhere on body, but usually appear on the chest, torso, face, shoulders, or back
• Are typically yellow, tan, brown, or black
• Are elevated off the skin surface
• May have a rough or wart-like texture
• May have a pasted look, as if a blob of dirt or clay is stuck on the skin
• Usually have a round or oval shape
• Can be single or multiple growths
• May be itchy
• Can be irritated by clothing or jewelry and can bleed if picked or rubbed

Diagnosis

Since some seborrheic keratoses appear dark, they may be difficult to distinguish from pigmented growths that are prone to becoming cancerous. Therefore, it is very important that you have a doctor check and ensure that they are seborrheic keratoses. Doctors can usually make an accurate diagnosis upon examination of the skin growth, but a biopsy can be done to make sure in uncertain cases.