Dermatologic problems of the head and neck in the aged

This article reviews 15 common and important skin problems encountered on the head and neck in individuals over the age of 50. For some of these diseases, seborrheic keratosis, for instance, aging alone is probably responsible for the frequency of their appearance. For others, such as actinic keratoses, the cumulative effect of environmental damage rather than age accounts for their development. But regardless of cause, these lesions, with the sole exception of melanomas, are extremely common. Every geriatric patient seen by the otolaryngologist is likely to have at least one of these conditions, and light skinned, sun damaged individuals are likely to have three or four.