A rare case of yellow nail syndrome in the emergency room setting: A case report

Background: Yellow nail syndrome (YNS) is a rare condition that consists of the following triad: yellowing of the nails, lymphedema, and pulmonary disease. The disease may be difficult to diagnose as all three components of the triad may not be present simultaneously, and on initial evaluation, it c...

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Main Authors: Jordan S. Elmowitz, Michael E. Nelson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-03-01
Series:JEM Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2773232024000609
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author Jordan S. Elmowitz
Michael E. Nelson
author_facet Jordan S. Elmowitz
Michael E. Nelson
author_sort Jordan S. Elmowitz
collection DOAJ
description Background: Yellow nail syndrome (YNS) is a rare condition that consists of the following triad: yellowing of the nails, lymphedema, and pulmonary disease. The disease may be difficult to diagnose as all three components of the triad may not be present simultaneously, and on initial evaluation, it can mimic common conditions such as onychomycosis, psoriasis, and lichen planus. This is a case of yellow nail syndrome in the emergency department. Case report: This is a case of a 31-year-old male who presented to the emergency room with a chief complaint of bilateral lower extremity swelling, yellow discoloration of his fingernails, and productive cough. Why should an emergency physician be aware of this?: Recognition of the constellation of findings can avoid unnecessary testing, exposure to potentially harmful inappropriate medications, and provide psychologic relief to the patient. Subsequently, this may reduce patient cost, avoid unnecessary side effects, and lead to appropriate disease management.
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spelling doaj-art-51791acceb4842ce8d12317e6a93aaef2025-08-20T02:00:32ZengElsevierJEM Reports2773-23202025-03-014110013010.1016/j.jemrpt.2024.100130A rare case of yellow nail syndrome in the emergency room setting: A case reportJordan S. Elmowitz0Michael E. Nelson1Division of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Cook County Health, Chicago, IL, USA; Corresponding author.Division of Emergency Medicine, Cook County Health, Chicago, IL, USABackground: Yellow nail syndrome (YNS) is a rare condition that consists of the following triad: yellowing of the nails, lymphedema, and pulmonary disease. The disease may be difficult to diagnose as all three components of the triad may not be present simultaneously, and on initial evaluation, it can mimic common conditions such as onychomycosis, psoriasis, and lichen planus. This is a case of yellow nail syndrome in the emergency department. Case report: This is a case of a 31-year-old male who presented to the emergency room with a chief complaint of bilateral lower extremity swelling, yellow discoloration of his fingernails, and productive cough. Why should an emergency physician be aware of this?: Recognition of the constellation of findings can avoid unnecessary testing, exposure to potentially harmful inappropriate medications, and provide psychologic relief to the patient. Subsequently, this may reduce patient cost, avoid unnecessary side effects, and lead to appropriate disease management.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2773232024000609Yellow nail syndromeLymphedemaPulmonary diseaseNail disease
spellingShingle Jordan S. Elmowitz
Michael E. Nelson
A rare case of yellow nail syndrome in the emergency room setting: A case report
JEM Reports
Yellow nail syndrome
Lymphedema
Pulmonary disease
Nail disease
title A rare case of yellow nail syndrome in the emergency room setting: A case report
title_full A rare case of yellow nail syndrome in the emergency room setting: A case report
title_fullStr A rare case of yellow nail syndrome in the emergency room setting: A case report
title_full_unstemmed A rare case of yellow nail syndrome in the emergency room setting: A case report
title_short A rare case of yellow nail syndrome in the emergency room setting: A case report
title_sort rare case of yellow nail syndrome in the emergency room setting a case report
topic Yellow nail syndrome
Lymphedema
Pulmonary disease
Nail disease
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2773232024000609
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