YELLOW NAIL SYNDROME

Course overview

YELLOW NAIL SYNDROME (YNS) IS A RARE CONDITION DEFINED BY A PRESENCE OF TWO OF THE FOLLOWING: (1) SLOW-GROWING, HARD, YELLOW, AND DYSTROPHIC NAILS, (2) LYMPHEDEMA, AND (3) RESPIRATORY TRACT DISEASE. THE EARLIEST CASE OF YNS WAS REPORTED BY HELLER IN 1927. HOWEVER, IN 1947, SAMMAN AND WHITE PUBLISHED THE FIRST CASE SERIES OF YNS IN PATIENTS WITH NAIL DISCOLORATION AND LYMPHEDEMA. PULMONARY DISEASE, SPECIFICALLY PLEURAL EFFUSION, WAS ADDED TO THE DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA BY EMERSON IN 1966. IN GENERAL, THE SYNDROME IS ACQUIRED AND AFFECTS ADULTS OVER AGE 50. HOWEVER, THERE ARE CASE REPORTS OF YNS OCCURRING IN CHILDREN AND EVEN NEWBORNS. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF YELLOW NAIL SYNDROME AND REVIEWS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EVALUATING AND IMPROVING CARE FOR PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.