From: sbharris@ix.netcom.com(Steven B. Harris)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: pathogenesis of xanthoma formation
Date: 5 Sep 2000 03:51:36 GMT

In <39B4A7A2.FB23ADF5@singnet.com.sg> Diwakar Davar
<davar@singnet.com.sg> writes:
>
>can anybody please explain why xanthomas form where they do?
>


  Areas of skin or tendon stress from pressure, trauma, or bending. The
cholesterol deposition is by foam cells (macrophages loaded with
cholesterol) and is incidental to attempts at repair at those damaged
and stressed places. It's very much the same as case in the insides of
the arteries.

  I assume you're talking about cholesterol-associated xanthomas, BTW.
There are other kinds, associated with uncontrolled diabetes or biliary
cirrosis, which occur in the setting of normal lipids.  But they
usually appear at different kinds of places also-- usually trunk and
neck.