Categories: Integument (skin) phene , Homeostasis / metabolism phene

Links to possible relevant human trait(s) and/or gene(s) in OMIM: 602247 (trait)

Single-gene trait/disorder: unknown

Disease-related: yes

Species summary: [IT thanks Emma Faull for contributions to this entry in August 2025]  

Species-specific name: Hyperlipidemia/hyperlipidaemia and xanthomatosis

Inheritance: Ferris et al. (2022) suspected a genetic predisposition as the reported 5 affected animals housed in two different institutions were related.

Clinical features: Ferris et al. (2022): "Three female yellow-footed rock wallabies (Petrogale xanthopus) at a single institution were diagnosed via biopsy with cutaneous xanthomas [(raised dermal masses, with tan, yellow, or pink coloration)] secondary to hypertriglyceridemia and hypercholesterolemia, and an additional two female yellow-footed rock wallabies were diagnosed with xanthomas at a second institution. All cases presented with cutaneous masses at the haired skin and paw pad junctions of the extremities, and/or mucocutaneous junctions of the face or urogenital tract. ... at initial presentation, all [5 affected] wallabies were young-adult females with a similar history of overconditioned to obese status, despite identically managed conspecifics in normal body condition." 

Pathology: Ferris et al. (2022) diagnosed the dermal masses as xanthomas, characteristed by "well-demarcated, unencapsulated, intradermal nodular accumulations of abundant intrahistiocytic and less often extracellular, amphophilic, amorphous material with numerous, fine, acicular (cholesterol) clefts. These accumulations of histiocytes elevate the overlying epidermis and compress the adjacent dermal stroma, hair follicles, and adnexa. ... One of the affected animals was also concurrently diagnosed with hepatic lipidosis via liver biopsy."