How to treat xanthomas that affect appearance?

In daily life, some people may find yellow lumps on their faces or skin, which greatly affect their appearance and physical beauty. In fact, it may be a disease called xanthomas. This disease is not a simple skin disease, but a lipid deposition disease with skin damage as a prominent manifestation. The characteristic manifestations are yellow, brownish red, orange papules, lumps or plaques, etc., which affect the appearance. At the same time, it should be noted that it is divided into two categories, primary and secondary. The former includes familial and non-familial. The familial one often leads to dyslipidemia, while the non-familial one is normal. If you have this disease, you will often also have lipid metabolism disorders and some damages of cardiovascular diseases. The damage caused to the human body is difficult to estimate. Therefore, once you have this disease, you must seek treatment in time.

1. Classification and clinical manifestations

According to the site of disease and morphological characteristics, it can be divided into the following types:

1. Xanthoma tuberosum can occur at any age.

It often occurs on the extensor side of the limbs and areas prone to friction. The lesions are yellow or dark brown, flat or raised, round, solid nodules that can reach 5 cm in diameter. They may be single or multiple and may fuse. In the later stages, the lesions may become fibrotic and become harder. Those that occur in the Achilles tendon or finger (toe) tendons are called tendon xanthomas. Patients often have abnormal cholesterol and/or triglyceride metabolism, hyperlipoproteinemia, and may develop atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

2. Plane xanthomas are slightly elevated flat yellow patches, ranging from light yellow to light brown, localized or generalized, and can reach up to 5 cm in diameter. Occurring at the inner canthus of the upper eyelid is called xanthelasma;

Those that occur on the palms are called palmar xanthomas; those that spread to the trunk, neck, and upper arms are called generalized flat xanthomas; those that occur in the intertriginous areas are called intertriginous xanthomas.

3. Eruptivexanthoma

It often affects the extensor side of the limbs and buttocks of patients with hyperchylomicronemia. The skin lesions are soft orange or brownish-yellow papules with a diameter of 1 to 4 mm. They occur rapidly in batches or suddenly. In the acute phase, inflammation is obvious, and there is a red halo around the lesions; itching or tenderness may occur. The lesions resolved spontaneously after a few weeks.

Histopathology

The epidermis is normal or compressively thinned; focal or diffuse infiltration of foam cells can be seen in the dermis.

2. Treatment

1. Dietary treatment: Controlling diet is the basic measure to treat this disease. For those with combined hyperlipoproteinemia, a low-fat, low-sugar, and low-cholesterol diet will be given according to different types.

2. Drug treatment: Give lipid-lowering drugs. Fenofibrate and statins are taken orally.

3. For localized lesions with a small number of localized lesions, liquid nitrogen cryotherapy, electro-ion surgery, laser and other physical therapies can be used, and local injection of fluorouracil can also be used for blockade. Large lesions can be removed surgically.

3. Prevention

Maintain good eating habits, pay attention to dietary adjustments, and do not consume excessive amounts of high-fat, high-sugar, and high-cholesterol foods.

It often occurs on the extensor side of the limbs and areas prone to friction. The lesions are yellow or dark brown, flat or raised, round, solid nodules that can reach 5 cm in diameter. They may be single or multiple and may fuse. In the later stages, the lesions may become fibrotic and become harder. Those that occur in the Achilles tendon or finger (toe) tendons are called tendon xanthomas. Patients often have abnormal cholesterol and/or triglyceride metabolism, hyperlipoproteinemia, and may develop atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.