A Florida man's unusual diet caused cholesterol to seep from his body.
He had started the carnivore diet eight months earlier, eating only animal products such as meat, fish, eggs and cheese.
The man, who was in his 40s, consumed up to nine pounds of cheese and butter a day, along with fatty meats such as beef.
Doctors describe how the patient showed up at Tampa General Hospital three weeks ago after painless yellow lesions appeared all over his palms, soles and elbows.
Although he claimed he had lost weight and had more energy and mental clarity, his cholesterol was over 1,000 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl), five times higher than normal levels.
Doctors found that the excess cholesterol – a fatty substance found in the blood and all cells of the body – caused it to seep out of the man's blood vessels, causing yellow deposits on his skin.
Although the lesions themselves are harmless, doctors warned in a medical journal this week that extremely high cholesterol levels can lead to heart attacks, strokes and other health problems.
A man in Florida who ate only butter, meat and other animal products went to hospitals with cholesterol levels five times higher than normal
The man's cholesterol levels were so high that it began to leak from his hands, as evidenced by the yellow deposit pictured here
Although cholesterol is produced by the liver, it also comes from animal products such as meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products.
When it builds up in the blood, cholesterol forms plaques in the arteries, called atherosclerosis.
Extremely high levels, like those in the Florida man, can cause it to build up under the skin, creating visible deposits of fats called lipids.
These lumps normally form around the eyes because blinking for a long period of time weakens the sensitive blood vessels around that area.
However, this type of leakage can occur anywhere in the body, as evidenced by the deposits on the Florida man's hands, feet and elbows.
About half of patients with xanthelasma, the medical name for the symptoms he experienced, have high cholesterol, and many patients inherit these elevated levels from their parents.
However, according to the Cleveland Clinic, people who are overweight, use tobacco, have diabetes or have high blood pressure are also at increased risk because these can cause plaque to build up in the blood vessels.
The unnamed man's doctors believe his yellow hands, feet and elbows were due to the extremely high cholesterol levels of his carnivore diet, which he had started eight months earlier.
It is unclear how the Florida man was treated, although xanthelasma typically requires removal with liquid nitrogen cryotherapy to destroy the tissue.
Laser surgery and chemical peels can also be used to remove the deposits.
The Florida man's doctors warned in JAMA Cardiology that the case is an example of the unforeseen consequences of high cholesterol.
They wrote: 'This case highlights the impact of dietary patterns on lipid levels and the importance of managing hypercholesterolemia to prevent complications.'
