Xanthelasma and hyperlipoproteinaemia.

Ninety-eight females exhibiting xanthelasma have been examined for hyperlipoproteinaemia. Fifty-four (55.1%) have shown signs of this defect and forty-two (77.8%) of these have shown the Type II abnormality. Low cholesterol diets have shown that the hyperlipidaemia can be reversed within nine months of the patients starting the diet, and in the majority of cases, the serum lipid concentration can be kept within normal limits by diet alone. The application of low cholesterol diets to patients with xanthelasma does not cause any regression of the plaques.