Actinic keratosis--a histoenzymological study

Actinic keratosis or senile keratosis is the most frequent premalign epithelial lesion that occurs in the elderly with a history of prolonged and intense exposure to the UV radiation and with an inborn susceptibility. Although the genetics and risk factors are clear nowadays, the histogenesis of this lesion is still under study. The histoenzymologic tests (such as those that demonstrate the ATP-ase and SDH-ase activity) are very useful for early detection of the structural and biochemical changes within the actinic keratosis lesion.