This disease is characterized by cholestrol getting deposited in the skin around the eyes or the skin creases of the buttocks, elbows, soles, palms or knees. These waxy, raised deposits are collectively referred to as xanthomas. These are soft, yellow and slightly raised. It commonly occurs on the eyelids. Xanthomas consist of cholesterol deposits. At times it can suddenly occur on other parts of the body and is called eruptive xanthomas which is a sign of high blood fat levels. In case of eruptive xanthomas, a physician should be referred to as soon as possible. These are skin lesions which are caused by the accumulation of fat in macrophage immune cells in the skin and in rare cases occur in the layer of fat under the skin. Some kinds of xanthoma indicate lipid metabolism disorders where they are associated with increased risk of coronary artery heart disease and at times with pancreatitis. This disease is characterized by abnormal sensation in areas of the body, generally the limbs. Xanthomas is neither harmful nor contagious. This disease generally affects youth but it can be found in people of all ages.

Cause

The cause of xanthomas on the eyelids is unknown. It cannot be considered to be harmful or contagious. The cause of eruptive xanthomas is elevated blood triglyceride levels. There are a number of underlying disorders in which xanthomas are caused by a disturbance in lipid metabolism. The diseases which are commonly associated with this disorder include biliary cirrhosis, cancer, diabetes and some other inherited diseases which affect the metabolism of the fat.

Symptoms

The symptoms of Xanthomas are soft, fatty lumps that appear under the skin. The lumps have a yellowish color and are flat. The size varies from two to six cm. They can occur in any region of the body. A skin biopsy is not required for diagnosing xanthomas. Eyelid xanthomas can be diagnosed by visual inspection. If a doctor suspects the case to be of eruptive xanthomas, a skin biopsy may be required to be performed.

Treatment

The main purpose of treatment for xanthomas which are associated with an underlying lipid disorder is to identify and treat lipid disorder. In a number of cases the treatment of underlying disorder would reduce or resolve the xanthomas. Dietary and lifestyle medications with or without medication are used for treating lipid disorders. In cases where xanthomas does not responds to the treatment, surgery or locally destructive modalities can be used for removing xanthomas.