Achilles Tendon Ultrasound in Familial Hypercholesterolemia – Diagnostic, prognostic and physiopathologic meaning

Purpose: Our study was aimed to evaluate the usefulness of tendon ultrasound to clarify the meaning of tendon xanthomas (TX) in familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). TX are nodules or diffuse enlargements of tendons, particularly Achilles tendons, almost pathognomonic of FH. TX are however clinically detectable only in 30% of patients. In FH the presence of tendon complications would seem to parallel vascular involvement, and clinical detection of TX apparently identifies a group of particularly high risk subjects. Ultrasound is able to evaluate in very accurate way the vascular districts and Achilles tendons, off…