WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush had four lesions removed from his face last week -- two pre-cancerous lesions on his cheeks, and two non-cancerous lesions on his forehead and temple, the White House revealed Monday.
A White House doctor used liquid nitrogen to remove the lesions Friday.
The medical term for the precancerous legions, one on each cheek, is "actinic keratoses." A White House statement said those lesions were in their "very early" stages of development, and were similar to three lesions removed from the president's face during his August physical.
The lesions on the forehead and temple were "seborrheic keratoses" -- less significant skin markings that the White House said do not usually develop into cancer.
"Given the prevalence and benign nature of the lesions, standard procedure is freezing the lesions with liquid nitrogen," a White House statement said. "No biopsies were indicated, nor were any taken. It is not uncommon to notice redness, darkening of the lesion, or peeling of the skin (similar to the sunburn) after freezing." Red spots were visible on the president's face Monday during his only public event -- an appearance at the White House with several Muslim children to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
A White House doctor used liquid nitrogen to remove the lesions Friday.
The medical term for the precancerous legions, one on each cheek, is "actinic keratoses." A White House statement said those lesions were in their "very early" stages of development, and were similar to three lesions removed from the president's face during his August physical.
The lesions on the forehead and temple were "seborrheic keratoses" -- less significant skin markings that the White House said do not usually develop into cancer.
"Given the prevalence and benign nature of the lesions, standard procedure is freezing the lesions with liquid nitrogen," a White House statement said. "No biopsies were indicated, nor were any taken. It is not uncommon to notice redness, darkening of the lesion, or peeling of the skin (similar to the sunburn) after freezing." Red spots were visible on the president's face Monday during his only public event -- an appearance at the White House with several Muslim children to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
