Multiple effusions and lymphedema in the yellow nail syndrome.

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A 54-year-old woman was referred for evaluation of possible cor pulmonale based on the presence of dyspnea, chronic productive cough, and bilateral leg edema for 8 years. For about 8 years, her nails had been thick, brown-yellowish and would break easily. The nail grew very slowly and sometimes separated from its bed. The appearance of the nails did not change after 7 courses of antimycotic therapy. Physical examination was remarkable for dullness and decreased breath sounds at both lung bases. There was slight symmetric, nonpitting pretibial, ankle, and hand edema (Figure 1). All nails were brown-yellowish, thickened, excessively curved from side-to-side, and had transverse ridging. The …