Mancha de edad

Las manchas de la edad (también conocidas como manchas hepáticas , lentigo solar , ^{[ 1 ]} " lentigo senil ", ^{[ 1 ] : 686} " mancha de la vejez ", ^{[ 2 ]} " peca senil ") ^{[ 2 ]} son ​​imperfecciones en la piel asociadas con el envejecimiento ^{[ 3 ]} y causadas por la exposición a la radiación ultravioleta del sol . ^{[ 4 ]} Varían en color desde marrón claro ^{[ 5 ]} hasta rojo o negro y se localizan en las áreas más expuestas al sol, particularmente las manos, la cara, los hombros, los brazos y la frente, y el cuero cabelludo si hay calvicie.

Las manchas se denominaban antiguamente manchas hepáticas, ya que se creía erróneamente que eran causadas por problemas hepáticos , pero fisiológicamente no tienen relación con el hígado, salvo por un color similar. ^{[ 6 ]} Se forman tras años de exposición al sol. ^{[ 7 ]}

En la gran mayoría de los casos, las manchas de la edad no representan ninguna amenaza y no requieren tratamiento, aunque ocasionalmente se sabe que pueden dificultar la detección del cáncer de piel . Sin embargo, a pesar de ser una afección benigna, las manchas de la edad a veces se consideran antiestéticas y algunas personas optan por eliminarlas. Esto se puede hacer mediante electrocirugía, tratamiento con láser, crioterapia o el uso de agentes despigmentantes, como hidroquinona , ^{[ 8 ]} tretinoína , ^{[ 8 ]} cisteamina tópica, ^{[ 9 ]} ácido azelaico, ^{[ 10 ]} o alfa hidroxiácidos . ^{[ 11 ]}

Differently from the melanotic nevi and the verrucous nevi on the skin, age spots change in color and in shape with time. Wang-Michelitsch and Michelitsch propose a hypothesis inspired by their misrepair-accumulation aging theory^[12] for the development of age spots.^[13] They propose that aged basal cells contain lipofuscin bodies that cannot be removed and might promote the aging of neighboring cells, generating a feedback loop that causes more and more neighbor cells to become aged and contain lipofuscins.^[13] Such cells might then aggregate into a spot with an irregular shape.^[13]

Another group^[14] has reported that "age spots" taken from human skin biopsies of patients facial senile lentigo of Fitzpatrick skin type III or IV aged 55–62 are enriched with senescent fibroblasts compared to surrounding skin. The dark coloration appeared to be due to higher melanin levels and activity of tyrosinase in the senescent fibroblasts than in the controls, potentially related to lower SDF1 expression.^[14] Patients were then administered six weekly treatments of microneedle fractional radiofrequency aimed at eliminating dermal senescent fibroblasts; this led to a marked decrease in epidermal pigmentation compared to baseline, accompanied by a decrease in the synthesis of collagen and the normalization of suppressed SDF1 expression.^[14]

Broad spectrum sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB radiation protect against age spots.^[7] Wearing a hat can prevent sun spots from forming on the face.^[7]

Treatment for age spots is almost never done for health-related reasons, though it is sometimes done for cosmetic ones. Skin-bleaching products that inhibit pigmentation or cosmetic creams containing the ingredients alpha hydroxy acids or retinoids are known to be effective. Age spots can also be frozen off with liquid nitrogen; that is, via cryosurgery.^[6]

• Freckle
• Lentigo
• List of cutaneous conditions

• Media related to Solar lentigo at Wikimedia Commons