Sideburns Obesity Syndrome: Is Sideburn Fat the Window to the Heart?

Abstract

Despite significant advancements in cardiovascular diagnostic technology, physical examination signs remain credible diagnostic indicators of coronary artery disease. Here, we report a case of a 50-year-old male patient with premature coronary artery disease associated with a novel physical sign of bilateral symmetrical bulging of the sideburn areas of the face. The sideburns correspond anatomically to the buccal fat pad which is composed of visceral adipose tissue. Visceral obesity is an established risk factor for cardiovascular disease, independent of total body weight, with some suggestion of a causal association. Therefore, isolated buccal visceral obesity (sideburn obesity syndrome) could be a marker for premature coronary artery disease.