Tangier disease
Tangier disease (TD) is an inherited condition that affects the body's ability to regulate the transport cholesterols out of cells. People with TD have trouble transporting "bad" types of cholesterol out of their cells and do not have enough of the "good" types of cholesterol --- especialy a type of cholesterol called HDL cholesterol. HDL cholesterol is called good cholesterold because it removes fat molecules from artery walls, which prevents a condition called hardening of the arteries/atherosclerosis (buildup of fatty deposits on the artery walls). People who have very low levels of HDL cholesterol are at increased risk for heart disease. TD affects many different body systems. Its most characteristic feature is on the tonsils, where deposits of cholesterol cause them to be yellowish or orange. The photo on this page is an artist's rendition of the effect of TD on the tonsils. source: http://www.forgottendiseases.org
