In this article we explain what Bowen’s skin disease is, what symptoms and treatment options are available.
Bowen’s disease is a skin disease that primarily affects the elderly. It is an early, slow-growing stage of melanoma associated with chronic inflammatory features. It begins as a small, rough patch, pink spot, or discoloration on the skin. This disease is benign, but it can slowly progress to squamous cell carcinoma.
The risk of developing Bowen’s skin disease is greater if you have often been unprotected from the sun in your life, often burn in the sun or, for example, go regularly or go to the sunbed. The disease is usually found in places where there is a lot of sunlight. For example, think of your nose, eyebrow, eyelid, cheekbone, ear, lips, forehead, hands, forearms, feet, and lower legs. But the disease does not appear only in places where the sun’s rays abound. It can also arise on the genitals or a crack in the buttocks.
You can recognize Bowen’s skin disease as a slow-growing skin abnormality. It looks like a red scaly spot with a wavy edge. The spots are very similar to eczema or psoriasis, but in the case of Bowen’s skin disease, the crusts appear more solid. The spots vary in size and range in size from approximately 2 mm to 10 cm.
A skin biopsy is done to make the diagnosis. This skin biopsy is important to rule out further growth of deeper parts of the skin and another type of skin cancer, such as basal cell carcinoma.
When it comes to Bowen’s skin disease, the doctor often cuts the spot. Often this also cuts off a small edge of healthy skin. This way, there is a greater chance that the stain will disappear in one go. Before the doctor cuts, you will first be given an injection to numb the skin and the wound will be stitched up after the wound.
Other forms of treatment include patch freezing or treatment with a cream containing 5FU. This is a form of chemotherapy that is performed on the skin. Freezing or cream treatment will cause little or no scarring, but the chance of it developing is slightly higher.
When the skin disease is completely eradicated, you usually don’t have to go back. And with frostbite or cream treatment, you often get a check-up three months later. After that, it is especially important to check your skin yourself every three months. Then note if the strange spots come back in the same place and if new strange spots develop on other parts of your body. Additionally, make sure your skin is well protected against the sun’s rays by rubbing yourself well with the sunscreen and not sitting in the full sun.
source | home doctor† Dermatologist
