Reference no: EM133570892

Assignment:

I had the pleasure of seeing your patient John Johnson in my clinic on February 14. Your office referred him to me regarding a rash on sun-exposed areas of his body. He is a 45-year-old landscape architect who spends a large part of his days outdoors. He had noticed several spots on his arms but did not seek medical care at that time. At his routine physical, his care provider noticed the rash on his arms. Physical exam revealed a well-developed, well-nourished, fair-skinned male. His heart was regular in rate and rhythm. His lungs were clear. His mucous membranes were moist and pink. His skin exam was significant for papules of hyperkeratosis with surrounding erythema. A few of the lesions are hyperpigmented. He has larger patches on his scalp. A skin biopsy performed in my office confirmed the diagnosis of actinic keratosis (AK). After explaining the results to Mr. Johnson, I recommended cryotherapy for the smaller lesions on his arms and dermabrasion for his scalp lesions. I explained to Mr. Johnson that AK can lead to squamous cell carcinoma and taught him about the risks of sun exposure, including further AKs and melanoma. Thank you for this interesting consult.

1. Explain the patient's diagnosis in layman's terms.

2. Explain the recommended treatment in layman's terms.

3. Explain the risks of sun exposure in layman's terms.