A Case Report on the Trilogy of Yellow Nail Syndrome: Yellow Nails, Pleural Effusion, and Lymphedema

Abstract

Yellow nail syndrome is a rare medical syndrome characterized by the combination of a triad of yellow nails, recurrent pulmonary manifestations, and lymphedema. All three features of the triad may not be present synchronously. The diagnosis is made clinically once other causes have been excluded. Typically, it occurs in individuals who are 50 years old and above. We report a case of yellow nail syndrome in a 62-year-old male who presented with recurrent episodes of difficulty breathing due to pleural effusion. Further examination revealed pitting edema of the bilateral lower extremities. In the later encounter, his nail was found to be yellowish. Excluding other diagnoses like heart failure, fungal infections, autoimmune diseases, and lung cancer, with a typical triad, a diagnosis of yellow nail syndrome was made. He was managed with pleural fluid tapping for pleural effusion, compression stockings for leg edema, and vitamin E for nail changes. The study also intends to highlight current treatment options and alert physicians of this syndrome with such typical findings.