Actinic chelitis is caused by chronic and excessive exposure to the
ultraviolet radiation in sunlight. There is thickening whitish
discoloration of the lip at the border of the lip and skin. There
is also loss of the usually sharp demarcation between the red of
the lip and the normal skin (vermilion border). This condition is
considered premalignant and may lead to squamous cell skin cancer.
Review Date: 08/12/2009
Reviewed By: Jonathan Kantor, MD, North Florida Dermatology Associates,
Jacksonville, FL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M.,
Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
