Atypical Presentation of Congenital Yellow Nail Syndrome in a 2-Year-Old Female

Abstract

Background: Yellow nail syndrome (YNS) is a rare clinical entity of unknown etiology that is characterized by a triad of yellow nails, respiratory manifestations, and lymphedema. The condition appears in the mid- to later years of life and only rarely in childhood. We describe a rare case of YNS with an atypical clinical presentation consisting of only yellow and dystrophic nails in a 2- year-old female since birth. Objective: A case of congenital YNS with only dystrophic and yellow nails is reported. Methods and Results: A 2-year-old female presented with yellow nails since birth. There was no positive family history. Physical examination revealed 20 thickened, dystrophic, yellow nails with onycholysis. There was no evidence of respiratory manifestations or lymphedema. Conclusion: Although rare, YNS can present as a congenital clinical entity and persist after birth. Pediatric patients with YNS show different clinical manifestations than the classic adult patient. The presence of yellow and dystrophic nails in the absence of respiratory and lymphatic manifestations may be the only sign of pathology and warrants close monitoring as progression to more serious complications can occur.