Lentigo and Freckles (Ephelides)

Melinda Jean Gruber, MD Reviewed 05/2023

BASICS

DESCRIPTION

Ephelides, commonly known as freckles, are among the most frequently identified pigmented lesions of skin.
They tend to occur on sun-exposed area in people with light-colored skin and...

DIAGNOSIS

HISTORY

A lentigo simplex is a lesion that can be present at birth but may also develop at any age, whereas ephelides tend to present in childhood and solar lentigines in adulthood. Both frec...

TREATMENT

GENERAL MEASURES

These conditions do not require treatment as they themselves are not premalignant. However, solar lentigines occur in patients with a history of chronic UV exposure which als...

ONGOING CARE

FOLLOW-UP RECOMMENDATIONS

Patient Monitoring

The American Academy of Dermatology recommends that patients with a history of non-melanoma skin cancer or those at higher risk undergo a full-b...

REFERENCES

MedlinePlus [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US); [updated 2020 Jun 24]. MC1R gene; [updated 2020 Aug 18; reviewed 2018 Aug 01; cited 2021 May 10]. Available from: ...

CODES

ICD10

L81.2 Freckles
L81.4 Other melanin hyperpigmentation

SNOMED

201285006 Lentigo - freckle
398744007 Lentigo
403536009 Ephelis
398900000 Lentigo simplex
72100002 Senile lentigo

CLINICAL PEARLS

Patients with ephelides and solar lentigines are at higher lifetime risk of developing skin cancer than those without these lesions, and should be counseled properly regarding reductio...

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