If you find xanthomas, xanthelasmas, or corneal arcus on exam, what lab should you order?

Prepare effectively for the PPC/OMM Block 6 Exam with comprehensive question sets, detailed explanations, and insightful tips. Ace your test confidently!

Multiple Choice

If you find xanthomas, xanthelasmas, or corneal arcus on exam, what lab should you order?

Explanation:
Xanthomas, xanthelasmas, and corneal arcus are signs that point to lipid abnormalities, often indicating elevated cholesterol and sometimes triglycerides. The best lab to order is a fasting lipid panel, which measures total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, and triglycerides. Fasting is important because triglycerides rise after meals and can skew lipid calculations, making the results less reliable if not fasting. This panel helps identify hyperlipidemias, including familial hypercholesterolemia, and guides treatment and cardiovascular risk assessment. Other labs like CBC, glucose, or liver function tests don’t directly evaluate lipid levels.

Xanthomas, xanthelasmas, and corneal arcus are signs that point to lipid abnormalities, often indicating elevated cholesterol and sometimes triglycerides. The best lab to order is a fasting lipid panel, which measures total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, and triglycerides. Fasting is important because triglycerides rise after meals and can skew lipid calculations, making the results less reliable if not fasting. This panel helps identify hyperlipidemias, including familial hypercholesterolemia, and guides treatment and cardiovascular risk assessment. Other labs like CBC, glucose, or liver function tests don’t directly evaluate lipid levels.

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