Bowen’s disease, also known as squamous cell carcinoma in situ, is a type of tumor found on the skin and is characterized by the appearance of patches or red or brown spots on the skin that usually occur with scabs and a large amount of keratin, which may not be flaky either.This disease is most common in women, although it can also occur in men, and is usually identified between the ages of 60 and 70, as it is related to prolonged exposure to the sun.
Bowen’s disease can be easily treated with photodynamic therapy, excision or cryotherapy, but if not treated properly, there may be a progression to more invasive carcinomas, which can have consequences for the person.
- Signs of Bowen’s disease can be unique or multiple and can appear anywhere in the body exposed to the sun.
- Being more common in the leg.
- Head and neck; however.
- They can also be identified in the palms.
- Groin or genital area.
- Especially in women when they have the HPV virus and.
- In the case of men.
- On their penis.
The main signs and symptoms of Bowen’s disease are
Diagnosis of Bowen’s disease is usually made by the dermatologist or family doctor from the observation of dermatoscopy stains, which is a non-invasive diagnostic method in which skin lesions are evaluated.may indicate the need for a biopsy to check whether the cells in the lesion have benign or malignant characteristics and, depending on the outcome, the most appropriate treatment may be indicated.
Dermatoscopy and biopsy can also differentiate Bowen disease from other dermatological diseases, such as psoriasis, eczema, basal cell carcinoma, actinic keratosis, or a fungal infection, known as dermatophytosis.Understand how dermatoscopy is performed.
The onset of Bowen’s disease is often associated with prolonged exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun, not necessarily to a person who spends hours exposed to the sun, but to daily exposure voluntarily or involuntarily.
However, this disease can also be promoted by exposure to carcinogens, as a result of viral infections, mainly HIV, decreased immune system activity, due to chemotherapy or radiation therapy, transplants, autoimmune or chronic diseases, for example, or the result of genetic factors..
Treatment of Bowen’s disease is determined by the physician based on the characteristics of the injuries, such as location, size, and quantity; There is also a risk that the disease will progress to more invasive carcinomas.
Thus, treatment can be done by cryotherapy, excision, radiation therapy, photodynamic therapy, laser or grading.Most of the time, light therapy is used for multiple and extensive injuries, while surgery may be recommended for small and unique injuries, in which the entire injury is eliminated.
In addition, if Bowen’s disease occurs as a result of an HPV infection, for example, your doctor should indicate treatment for the infection. It is also recommended to avoid prolonged exposure to the sun to prevent disease progression and the onset of complications.
Find out how skin carcinoma is treated.