Inflammatory Mediators in Xanthelasma Palpebrarum: Histopathologic and Immunohistochemical Study

Purpose: To evaluate the expression of inflammatory mediators in xanthelasma palpebrarum. Methods: In this retrospective histopathologic case–control study, xanthelasma specimens obtained from the private practice and pathology archives of 1 author (R.Z.S.) were analyzed and compared with the blepharoplasty tissues from age- and sex-matched controls. Paraffin-embedded tissue sections were stained with hematoxylin–eosin and CD3, CD20, CD163, cyclooxygenase-1, inducible nitric oxide synthase, matrix metallopeptidase-9, and myeloperoxidase antibodies. Immunostaining was quantified by light microscopy and with a computerized image analysis system of scanned images. Results: Hematoxylin–eosin-stained preparations of xanthelasma specimens demonstrated significantly more intense chronic lymphocytic infiltrate when compared with the control blepharoplasty tissues (p