Skin growths in the aged. Treatment considerations

Skin disorders are very common among elderly people. All physicians who care for this population should possess the ability to recognise common benign growths. Primary care physicians should also have the ability to recognise premalignant and malignant lesions, so that early diagnosis and treatment is possible. It is puzzling that the organ system most amenable to examination is so often overlooked in routine examinations. By simply taking the time to perform a skin examination, morbidity and mortality can be decreased. Through improvements in pharmacotherapy, particularly the development of more effective sunscreens, it may eventually be possible to markedly reduce the development of many benign and malignant skin lesions.