I messenger RNA, and have suggested that lipoid proteinosis may be an abnormality of collagen metabolism. The hyaline material is made up of mucopolysaccharides with hyaluronic acid, neutral fat and cholesterol. Lipid is also found in the lesions although fibroblasts have not been shown to have an increased secretion. The lipids may be a secondary phenomenon. Approximately 300 cases have been reported in the world literature.
Life span is usually normal.
Patients may develop laryngeal obstruction due to vocal cord involvement, which may require tracheostomy. The condition appears more common in Europeans. Males and females are equally affected. Adults may have subtle skin findings and present with complications of internal organ deposition. A hoarse or weak cry in infancy is typical, and within the next few years of life, skin lesions appear that heal with scarring.