Xanthelasma; 
Linked to Coronary Heart Disease

If your eye doctor has diagnosed you with xanthelasma (pronounced znth-lzm) you should also be aware that you are more likely than not to have a lipid disorder, like high cholesterol. And high cholesterol is closely linked to coronary heart disease.

Xanthelasma are seen clinically as oval-shaped yellowish plaques just beneath the skin of the eyelids. Most commonly, they are found near the inner corner of the upper eyelid, although they may be seen on the lower lid as well. Inspection and palpation may reveal a soft, semisolid, or calcified texture.

Patients with xanthelasma are typically over 40 years of age, and women are affected nearly twice as often as men. The condition may be seen in light-skinned and dark-skinned people. Patients with xanthelasma may present because of a cosmetic concern, or the condition may be detected on routine ocular examination. The lesions are neither inflammatory nor painful, and there is no tendency toward malignancy, although the lesions may enlarge and/or coalesce over time. In very rare instances, an abnormally large xanthelasma can interfere with lid function, causing ptosis (eyelid droop) or lagophthalmos (poor or incomplete lid closure ability).

Xanthelasma is apparent in the photo below in the upper eyelid towards the nasal side.

 ~RQ