Prevalence of Actinic Keratosis in Different Regions of Spain: The EPIQA Study

Actinic keratoses (AKs) are common cutaneous lesions that develop as a result of ultraviolet (UV) radiation damage.1 Risk factors associated with AKs include advanced age, male gender, high degree of sun and/or artificial UV exposure, and fair skin.2 Epidemiological studies within Europe are limited and have provided highly variable estimates of AK point prevalence (1--38%).2--6 Cumulative sun exposure, demographic AK risk factors, and lifestyle characteristics have likely contributed to the wide-ranging estimate of European AK prevalence.7,8 Comprehensive studies that measure nationwide AK prevalence within Europe would provide essential information that would aid the development of pragmatic AK management guidelines. The aim of the EPIQA study was to assess the prevalence of AKs among dermatology outpatient clinics in Spain.9 In this analysis, we report the secondary objective of describing dermatology outpatient clinic AK prevalence within four regions of Spain with different climate conditions. The EPIQA study was an observational, cross-sectional, multicentre study that included patients attending general dermatology outpatient clinics in Spain.9 In order to