Actinic Cheilitis prevalence and risk factors: a cross-sectional, multicentre study in a population aged 45 years and over in north-west Spain

Actinic cheilitis is thought to be a premalignant lesion or a superficial squamous cell carcinoma. The prevalence of actinic cheilitis in Europe is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of actinic cheilitis in the Galicia region (north-west Spain). Secondary objectives were the description of risk factors of actinic cheilitis. A cross-sectional multicentre study in patients ≥ 45 years of age was performed in 8 dermatology departments in Galicia region during a 1-year period. The prevalence of actinic cheilitis was 31.3%. Significant and independent risk factors of actinic cheilitis after multivariate analysis were age ≥ 60 years, Fitzpatrick skin phototype II, outdoor working for more than 25 years, and previous history of non-melanoma skin cancer. This is the first cross-sectional multicentre study of the prevalence of actinic cheilitis in Europe. Actinic cheilitis was present in almost one-third of the screened patients. Lip examination should be performed in all patients with chronic actinic damageS

Actinic cheilitis: analysis of clinical subtypes, risk factors and associated signs of actinic damage

Actinic cheilitis (AC) is a common condition that mainly involves the lower lip, which is associated with chronic exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. AC is considered a precursor of malignancy (1), but the rate of progression from AC to invasive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) has not yet been established. An epidemiological study previously described the prevalence of AC and its associated variables in the Galicia region (north-western Spain); the prevalence of AC in a population aged 45 years and over was 31.3%, and multivariate analysis showed that significant and independent risk factors for AC were age ≥60 years, Fitzpatrick skin phototypes I and II, working outdoors for more than 25 years, and a history of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) (2). We report here a subanalysis of the clinical manifestations of AC and the associations of AC with other markers of actinic damageS