Books talk about diffuse ketarosic neoformations in palms and plants, which can evolve into basal cell carcinoma. These neoformations are usually yellowish.
Pathophysiology
Arsenite impairs
nucleotideexcision repair,[6] and it may also affect
gene expression by increasing or decreasing
DNA methylation. The high affinity of arsenic for
sulfhydryl groups makes keratin-rich cells (e.g.,
epidermalkeratinocytes) a sensitive target for arsenic-induced toxicity. Arsenic has been shown to alter epidermal keratinocyte differentiation processes,[7] induce overexpression of
growth factors,[8] and enhance proliferation of human keratinocytes.
Treatment
A
chelating agent (e.g.,
dimercaprol) may be helpful to correct acute arsenic exposure, but it has minimal or no effect for patients who had arsenic exposure a long time ago.
Oral
retinoids (e.g.,
acitretin,[4][9][10]etretinate[11]) may be helpful in treating arsenic-induced
cutaneous lesions and in reducing the risk of cutaneous and internal malignancy formation, especially in Bowman's disease.
Topical
5-fluorouracil cream[10] or 5%
imiquimod cream[12] may be useful in treating arsenical keratoses and Bowen's disease.
References
^Freedberg, et al. (2003). Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine. (6th ed.). McGraw-Hill.
ISBN0-07-138076-0.