Differential diagnosis of tendon tumors: xanthomas caused by hyperlipidemia in children.

Tumors of tendons and tendon sheaths causing pain and mechanical problems are often because of overstraining, and in most cases the resulting common ganglia can be easily removed. We describe an 8-year-old child in whom the tumor's origin had remained undetected and was related to a homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, which can be associated with multiple xanthomas of the skin and tendons. After a thorough investigation and therapy, a program to prevent arteriosclerosis and myocardial infarct in this patient was initiated.