BackgroundAlthough many factors are involved in the etiology of xanthelasma palpebrum,
lipid disorder is strongly associated with its induction. Xanthelasma
palpebrum, the most common type of xanthoma, usually presents in middle-aged
females and results in aesthetic problems.ObjectiveTo evaluate thelipid profile and important clinical aspects of xanthelasma
palpebrum patients.MethodsIn this descriptive study, we enrolled 42xanthelasma palpebrumpatients, and
42 cases of non-inflammatory skin disorders as thecontrol group, matched for
age and gender.The clinical characteristics of the patients and fasting
serum lipid profile were recorded for both groups. The data obtained were
analyzed using SPSS-16.ResultsXanthelasma palpebrum was found more commonly in middle-aged females with
disease onset of less than 1 year, and without significant familial history
of xanthoma. Furthermore,xanthelasma lesionswere most often seen in the
upper lid with mild extension and was rarely associated with systemic
disease. There was no statistically significant difference between two
groups regarding hypertriglyceridemia (p= 0.231) and hypercholesterolemia
(p= 0.302). The mean serum levels of cholesterol (221.51±60.4 mg/dl),
triglyceride (185.98±71.1 mg/dl) and VLDL (37.7±17.6 mg/dl)
were significantly higher and themedian HDL (36.2 (31, 41) mg/dl) level was
lower in thepatient group.ConclusionIn our study, hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia did not reveal a
significant difference between thepatient and control groups; however, mean
serum values for cholesterol, triglyceride, VLDL and HDL showed a
significant difference between the two groups. Therefore, in addition to
lipid abnormality, other factors could be involved in the pathogenesis of
xanthelasma palpebrum.