(Plural: xanthomata.) A deposit of fatty material in the skin, subcutaneous fat and tendons. The presence of a xanthoma may be the first 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 yellow papules on the buttocks.
yellow plaques or macules in the skin.
Tuberdules on the elbows or knees.
subcutaneous nodules fixed to tendons, particularly those on the back of the fingers and the ACHILLES TENDON.