Xanthomatosis Health Dictionary

(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.... xanthoma

An uncommon form of liver cirrhosis that results from problems with the bile ducts, either due to an autoimmune disorder known as primary biliary cirrhosis, or a longstanding blockage. Primary biliary cirrhosis affects mainly middle-aged women and seems to be linked with a malfunction of the immune system. Secondary biliary cirrhosis results from prolonged bile duct obstruction or biliary atresia. In both types, liver function is impaired due to cholestasis (accumulation of bile in the liver). In primary biliary cirrhosis, the bile ducts within the liver become inflamed and are destroyed. Symptoms include itching, jaundice, an enlarged liver, and sometimes abdominal pain, fatty diarrhoea, and xanthomatosis. Osteoporosis may develop. Symptoms of liver cirrhosis and liver failure may occur after several years. Drugs can minimize complications and relieve symptoms such as itching. A liver transplant is the only long-term cure.

The symptoms and signs of secondary biliary cirrhosis include abdominal pain and tenderness, liver enlargement, fevers and chills, and sometimes blood abnormalities. Treatment is the same as for bile duct obstruction.... biliary cirrhosis

Abnormal tilting and twisting of the head. It may be due to injury to, or spasm of, the muscles on one side of the neck (see torticollis), among other factors.

xanthelasma A yellowish deposit of fatty material that is visible in the skin around the eyes. Xanthelasmas are common in elderly people and are usually of no more than cosmetic importance. However, in younger people they may be associated with hyperlipidaemias, in which there is excess fat in the blood. Xanthelasmas may be removed, if necessary, by a simple surgical procedure under a local anaesthetic. Any associated hyperlipidaemia must also be treated.

(See also xanthomatosis.)... wry neck