Skin Aging: Secondary Diseases

The following are the most important diseases or complications that may be contributed to by skin aging:

Skin and subcutaneous tissue (L00-L99).

  • Decubitusulcer (ulcer) of the skin or mucous membrane, which is caused by prolonged exposure to pressure.
  • Eczematous appearance (asteatotic eczema, exsiccation eczema, eczema craquelé) – especially on the extremities and often with excruciating itching (pruritus senilis).
  • Impaired wound healing due todecreasing immunocompetence (“immunosenescence).
  • Skin inflammation with thin vulnerable skin
  • Skin irritations
  • Purpura senilis – areal hemorrhages, especially on the upper extremities (senile skin is more sensitive to friction and shear trauma).
  • Xereosis cutis – dryness of the skin.
  • Increase in inflammatory dermatoses such as bullous pemphigoid (characterized by bulging subepidermal blisters usually localized on an erythematous base).

Infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99).

  • Frequent occurrence of infectious skin diseases such as:
    • Erysipelas (infection with group A beta-hemolytic streptococci).
    • Tinea pedis (athlete’s foot)
    • Candida intertrigo
    • Herpes zoster

Neoplasms and tumor diseases (C00-D48).

  • Increase in benign skin tumors such as seborrheic keratoses (verrucae seborrhoicae), solar lentigines (lentigines seniles; age spots), or senile angiomas.
  • Increase in malignant skin tumors such as basal cell carcinomas (BZK; basal cell carcinoma), actinic keratoses, as well as cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (SCC). Furthermore, the lentigo maligna, this is a pre-invasive melanoma.

Psyche – Nervous System (F00-F99; G00-G99).

  • Social isolation
  • Dissatisfaction with one’s appearance