Skin tumours and skin aging in 209 French elderly people: the PROOF study

Background

Few studies have evaluated the prevalence of skin tumours in the geriatric population and none have analysed different skin aging parameters for whole-body skin in this population.

Objectives

To evaluate the prevalence of skin tumours and global skin aging in a French cohort of elderly people.

Materials and methods

In total, 209 subjects, 105 women and 104 men (mean age: 77.5; range: 74-81 years), were enrolled from the PROOF (PROgnostic indicator OF cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events) cohort. SCINEXA (SCore for INtrinsic and EXtrinsic skin Aging) was used to assess the degree of skin aging and the prevalence of skin tumours. Some additional cutaneous parameters were also studied. Skin aging in women and men was compared.

Results

Mean global SCINEXA was 24.3 (SD: 4.7; range: 8.2-35.3). Solar elastosis and lax appearance were more severe in women (t test; p<0.0001), whereas pseudoscars (t test; p = 0.0312) and coarse wrinkles (t test; p = 0.0479) were more severe in men. Erythrosis coli (chi-square test; p <0.0001) was more frequent in men, whereas varicous veins (chi-square test; p = 0.0026) and eyelid xanthomas (chi-square test; p = 0.0282) were more frequent in women. Twelve patients presented with cutaneous carcinomas and two patients had early melanomas.

Conclusion

This research describes in detail the main indices of skin aging in an old population and the differences related to gender. Moreover, it highlights the utility of systematic screening of old patients by dermatologists in order to diagnose skin cancers early.