Irritated Seborrheic Keratosis

Although generally asymptomatic, SKs can be a source of itching, especially in the elderly, who have a tendency to unconsciously manipulate these protruding growths. Irritation can be aggravated by chafing from clothing or from maceration in intertriginous areas, such as under the breasts and in the groin. When inflamed, SKs become slightly swollen and develop an irregular, red flare in the surrounding skin. Itching and erythema can then appear spontaneously in other SKs that have not been manipulated and in areas without SKs. With continued inflammation, the SK loses most of its normal characteristics and becomes a bright red, oozing mass with a friable surface that itches intensely and resembles an advanced melanoma or a pyogenic granuloma.