Lipemia most commonly results from a state of non-fasting. Dietary fats, namely the chylomicron forms of lipoproteins, are visible to the naked eye, and the sample appears creamy white, or turbid.
If, however, the patient is indeed in a state of fasting and the sample is lipemic, it may be a sign of a serious underlying disorder. Examples may include pancreatitis, where the pancreas is not producing adequate lipase to help digest the circulating fats, or a hereditary lipoproteinemia, where a genetic defect in lipoprotein receptors affects their uptake by the liver for metabolism.
Lipemia creates challenges as it can affect the testing process itself, especially with certain chemistry or hematology analyses.
Lipemia, regardless of the cause and its impact on the analysis, should be reported as a comment on the laboratory results.
