Xanthoma Health Dictionary

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Xanthoma: From 3 Different Sources

A yellowish deposit of fatty material in the skin, often on the elbow or buttock.

They may be associated with hyperlipidaemias (see xanthomatosis).

Health Source: BMA Medical Dictionary
Author: The British Medical Association
(Plural: xanthomata.) A deposit of fatty material in the skin, subcutaneous fat and tendons. The presence of a xanthoma may be the ?rst sign that a person has primary or secondary HYPERLIPIDAEMIA – a raised concentration of lipids (see LIPID) in the blood. This can lead to ATHEROMA, and appropriate clinical and laboratory examinations should be done to determine the diagnosis and treatment.

When fatty deposits occur in various parts of the body – skin, brain, cornea, internal organs and tendons – the condition is called xanthomatosis. Treatment is of the underlying conditions, an important aim being to lower the concentrations of fats in the body.

Xanthomata have a variety of manifestations which may point to the underlying cause. These include:

Eruptive Eruptive yellow papules on the buttocks.

Plane Yellow plaques or macules in the skin.

Tuberous Nodules on the elbows or knees.

Tendinous Subcutaneous nodules ?xed to tendons, particularly those on the back of the ?ngers and the ACHILLES TENDON.

Health Source: Medical Dictionary
Author: Health Dictionary
n. (pl. xanthomata) a yellowish skin lesion associated with any of various disorders of lipid metabolism. There are several types of xanthomata. Tuberous xanthomata are found on the knees and elbows; tendon xanthomata involve the extensor tendons of the hands and feet and the Achilles tendon. Crops of small yellow papules at any site are known as eruptive xanthomata, while larger flat lesions are called plane xanthomata.
Health Source: Oxford | Concise Colour Medical Dictionary
Author: Jonathan Law, Elizabeth Martin

Xanthomatosis

A condition in which deposits of yellowish, fatty material develop in various parts of the body, particularly in the skin, internal organs, corneas of the eyes, brain, and tendons. The deposits may occur only in the eyelids (see xanthelasma). A key feature of xanthomatosis is the tendency for fatty material to be deposited in the linings of blood vessels, leading to generalized atherosclerosis. Xanthomatosis is often associated with hyperlipidaemias.

Treatment aims to lower the levels of fats in the blood by means of a diet that is low in cholesterol and high in polyunsaturated fat, and by drug treatment.... xanthomatosis


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