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Yellow Nail Syndrome is characterized by slow growing, yellow, thickened nails with a loss of cuticles. The nails may become convex and loose (onycholysis). This condition is usually associated with plural effusion (fluid filled lungs) and/or lymphedema (fluid filled lymphatic vessels) of the extremities. Intermittent edema of the genitalia, hands, and face may also be present.

Respiratory diseases such as bronchiectasis (chronic inflammation or degenerative condition of the bronchi and bronchioles), bronchitis (chronic inflammation of the bronchial tubes) and sinusitis (inflammation of the membrane lining the sinus) may also occur with Yellow Nail Syndrome.
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The exact cause of Yellow Nail Syndrome is not known, but recent evidence suggests that it is genetic in nature and inherited as an autosomal dominant trait. Since it is often associated with respiratory infections, it may be that the immune system is involved, as well.

Human traits, including the classic genetic diseases, are the product of the interaction of two genes, one received from the father and one from the mother. In autosomal dominant disorders, a single copy of the disease gene (received from either the mother or father) will be expressed "dominating" the other normal gene and resulting in the appearance of the disease. The risk of transmitting the disorder from affected parent to offspring is 50 percent for each pregnancy, regardless of the sex of the resulting child. The risk is the same for each pregnancy.
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Women may be afflicted with this syndrome more often than men and the onset varies from birth to the eighties.

There is no known treatment for Yellow Nail Syndrome, but the nails may improve when the related disorder is treated.

McKusick VA, ed. Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM). Baltimore. MD: The Johns Hopkins University; Entry No: 153300; Last Update: 7/10/2000.

REVIEW ARTICLES
Glazer M, et al. Successful talc slurry pleurodesis in patients with nonmalignant pleural effusion. Chest. 2000;117:1404-09.

Hershko A, et al. Yellow Nail Syndrome. Postgrad Med J. 1997;73:466-68.

JOURNAL ARTICLES
Slee J, et al. Yellow nail syndrome presenting as nonimmune hydrops: second case report. Am J Med Genet. 2000;93:1-4.

Moffitt DL, et al. Yellow nail syndrome: the nail that grows half as fast grows twice as thick. Clin Exp Dermatol. 2000;25:21-23.

Widjaja A, et al. Octreotide for therapy of chylous ascites in yellow nail syndrome. Gastroenterology. 1999;116:1017-18.

Sacco O, et al. Yellow nail syndrome and bilateral cystic lung disease. Pediatr Pulmonol. 1998;26:429-33.

Paradisis M, et al. Yellow nail syndrome in infancy. J Paediatr Child Health. 1997;33:454-57.