Xanthogranulomatosis is a common dermatological disease in birds. This form of inflammation, possibly associated with lipometabolic disorders, can also be seen in visceral organs, which as yet has only rarely been described in avian medicine. In general, diseases related to impaired lipid metabolism are frequently reported in avian medicine, with hepatic steatosis and atherosclerosis being the most common. In human medicine, infectious agents—especially some strains of adenovirus—were implicated in contributing to lipometabolic disorders; this has also been described for chicken. Here, a case series of six Red-crowned Parakeets (Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae) is presented, all cases being characterized by psittacine adenovirus 2 (PsAdV-2) infection with or without disseminated xanthogranulomatosis. The affected individuals were examined alive by clinical examination. Total body radiographs were taken of two birds, haematology and blood biochemistry results were achieved in one bird. The birds either died immediately after clinical presentation or within two days, two individuals were euthanized due to worsening of their clinical condition. All birds underwent a post-mortem examination. While four birds were finally diagnosed with disseminated xanthogranulomatosis, all six individuals had large eosinophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies in the epithelial cells of the collecting ducts of the kidney and tested positive for PsAdV-2. Further examinations are needed to clarify to what extent PsAdV-2 might elicit lipometabolic disease in birds, or psittacines in general, and, in particular, the Red-crowned Parakeet.

Après un bref rappel des facteurs de risque cardiovasculaires et une revue du métabolisme des lipides, de la classification des dyslipidémies et de la pathophysiologie des xanthomes, sera abordée la dysbêtalipoprotéinémie (anciennement la dyslipidémie de type III). Cette dyslipidémie caractérisée par l’accumulation de particules de remnants, généralement secondaire à une apolipoprotéine E anormale, est hautement athérogène, tant au niveau vasculaire périphérique que coronarien. Jusqu’à présent, les plis palmaires orangés, définis comme étant une coloration jaune à orangée (parfois brunâtre) des plis palmaires ainsi que digitaux, ont été considérés pathognomoniques de cette dyslipidémie. Par l’étude d’une population caucasienne adulte du Saguenay –Lac Saint-Jean, nous avons pu démontrer une prévalence de 18,8% des plis palmaires orangés chez les patients atteints d’une dysbêtalipoprotéinémie. Également, cette étude a permis de mettre en lumière l’absence des critères de dysbêtalipoprotéinémie chez 10,7% des sujets présentant ce type de xanthome. Les données suggèrent que l’expression de plis palmaires orangés est associée à la présence d’une accumulation soutenue ou récurrente de remnants. L’accumulation de ces remnants est possible dans un large spectre de maladies lipidiques où il y a interférence dans l’hydrolyse ou la clairance des remnants, dont la dyslipidémie post-prandiale, la chylomicronémie, le déficit partiel en lipoprotéine lipase (LPL) et dans l’hypercholestérolémie familiale (HF) sévère, principalement chez les individus homozygotes. La recherche en clinique des plis palmaires orangés pourrait apporter des éléments complémentaires dans l’évaluation du risque cardiovasculaire en tant que marqueur d’une accumulation de remnants qui, pour leur part, ont été démontrés conférer un risque cardiovasculaire augmenté, tant en prévention primaire que secondaire. / After a brief review of cardiovascular risk factors and lipid metabolism, classification of dyslipidemias, the pathophysiology of xanthomas as well as dysbetalipoproteinemia will be discussed. This dyslipidemia which is characterized by the accumulation of remnants particules, generally secondary to an abnormal apolipoprotein E, is highly atherogenic, both at the peripheral vascular and coronary levels. The striated palmar xanthomas, defined as a yellow to orange (sometimes brownish) coloration of the palmar and digital folds, are considered pathognomonic of this formerly called type III dyslipidemia. By studying an adult Caucasian population from the Saguenay–Lac Saint-Jean region, we were able to demonstrate a prevalence of 18.8% of orange palmar folds in patients with dysbetalipoproteinemia. Also, this study allowed to shed light on the absence of criteria for dysbetalipoproteinemia in 10.7% of subjects with this type of xanthoma. These data suggest that the expression of striated palmar xanthomas is associated with the presence of a sustained or recurrent accumulation of remnants. The accumulation of these remnants is possible in a broad spectrum of lipid disorders where there is interference in the hydrolysis or clearance of the remnants, including postprandial dyslipidemia, chylomicronemia, partial lipoprotein lipase deficiency and familial hypercholesterolemia mainly in homozygotes. Clinical research of striated palmar xanthomas could provide additional information in the evaluation of cardiovascular risk as a marker of an accumulation of remnants which, for their part, have been shown to confer an increased cardiovascular risk, both in primary prevention and secondary.