Professional paper
Skin Growths of the Head and Neck Region in Elderly Patients – Analysis of Two Five-Year Periods in General Hospital Karlovac, Croatia
Zorica Alerić
Vladiimr Bauer
Abstract
Skin lesions, benign and malignant, are more common in the older than younger people. Due to the aging of the skin
and greater exposure to the impact of ultraviolet rays, their long-term cumulative negative effect, skin lesions are more
common in the head and neck area than on other parts of the skin. This paper analyses the pathohistological diagnosis of
material after the surgical excision of tumors of the skin on the head and neck of persons older than 60, at the General
Hospital Karlovac through two five-year period. The first period is the period from 2006 to 2010 and the second one from
1996 to 2000. The aim was to determine for each period the type and variety of skin lesions, the prevalence of the disease,
the age and gender structure, and finally to compare the two periods. The total number of excisions in the first period was
1200, and in the second 513. In both periods more excisions was done in women than men, if compared it comes to 1.4:1.
The ratio of malignant (basocellular carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanomas), and benign tumors (seborrheic
keratoses, moles and others) in the first period was 49.3 to 46.3%, and in the second 56.7 to 42.1%. Precancerous lesions
(actinic keratoses and Mb Bowen’s disease) accounted for 4.3% of lesions in the first and 1.2% in the second period.
The total number of basocellular carcinoma was 481/232, which makes 81.3% of all malignant tumors in the first, or
79.7% in the second period. Our results showed that around half of all skin lesions removed in both periods consisted of
malignant tumors, among which the most common were basal cell carcinomas. High prevalence of malignant non-melanoma
skin cancers, 48.7 and 56%, indicate the importance of protection from UV radiation, and early detection and
treatment of skin cancer and precancerous lesions.
Keywords
skin lesions; the elderly; skin cancer; ultraviolet rays
Hrčak ID:
72265
URI
Publication date:
25.9.2011.
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