[Hyperlipidemia and osteoarticular manifestations]

Hyperlipoproteinaemia, notably types II and IV, may give rise to various musculoskeletal disorders. Mono-, oligo- or polyarthritis, or even simple arthralgias, are often encountered in patients with severe type IIa hyperlipoproteinaemia, the most satisfactory tentative explanation for this being a microcrystalline pathology. Tendinitis is also frequent, particularly in children. The same manifestations have also been reported, although more occasionally, in type IV hyperlipoproteinaemia. Skeletal lesions, such as xanthoma or lipoma ossificans, are extremely rare. Other musculoskeletal disorders, including gout and aseptic osteonecrosis, are often associated with hyperlipidaemia. Some diseases may induce secondary hyperlipidaemia but have their own rheumatological manifestations. Finally, lipid-lowering drugs, such as fibrates and statines, sometimes induce disabling myalgias.