XANTHOMATOSIS ASSOCIATED WITH HYPERLIPOPROTEINEMIA.

Xanthomas, in themselves, are usually harmless. However, they frequently occur in patients with atherosclerosis and abnormal lipoprotein metabolism. Therefore, studies dealing with xanthomas in experimental animals and humans, in whom hyperlipoproteinemia is present, may lead to useful information about the manner in which lipids accumulate in the foam cells of xanthonms and, more important, how the pathologic processes in the skin might mirror events occurring in the foam cells of atherosclerotic plaques. This article will review some of the current concepts of the biochemical and morphologic abnormalitites occurring in xanthomas as derived from studies of these cutaneous lesions in humans and experimental animals. This will include a discussion of the metabolism of certain lipoprotiens of importance in xanthomatosis as well as a consideration of the new hyperlipoprotein syndromes described by Fredrickson et al. (1) as they relate to various forms of xanthomas. Where possible, an attempt is made to correlate the pathologic and biochemical alterations observed in xanthomas with these occurring in atheromas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]