Tuberc Respir Dis.  2011 Jul;71(1):46-49.

A Case of Yellow Nail Syndrome: Misdiagnosis as Congestive Heart Failure

• Bae BJ
• Kim HJ
• Kim SJ
• Lee KY
• Kim WD
• Yoo KH

Abstract

Yellow nail syndrome (YNS) is a rare disorder of unknown cause associated with yellow nails, lymphedema and respiratory manifestations. It was first described by Samman and White in 1964, and to date, approximately 150 cases have been reported. The diagnosis of YNS is essentially a clinical one and based on the presence of characteristic findings. We report a case of YNS of a 62-year-old female who presented with a 4-month history of dyspnea and recurrent pleural effusion. The patient had a 5-year history of leg swelling and dyspnea. She had been managed with medications for congestive heart failure (CHF) for two years and she was referred to our hospital for further evaluation and management.

Keyword

Yellow Nail Syndrome; Lymphedema; Pleural Effusion

MeSH Terms

Diagnostic Errors
Dyspnea
Estrogens, Conjugated (USP)
Female
Heart Failure
Humans
Leg
Lymphedema
Middle Aged
Nails
Pleural Effusion
Yellow Nail Syndrome
Estrogens, Conjugated (USP)

Figure

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  Figure 1 Photography of patient's nails and toenails. Note the yellowish discoloration, abnormal thickening, transverse ridge, excessive curvature and onycholysis.

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  Figure 2 Chest radiography and computed tomography. Massive right pleural effusion and left pleural small effusion without parenchymal disorder are shown.

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