Patients often give a history of recurrent attack of bronchitis, chronic sinusitis, and pneumonia.
The etiology of the yellow nail syndrome is unknown. Familial occurrence is rare. The pathogenesis of the bronchiectasia is unclear. The lymphedema is thought to result from hypoplasia of the lymphatics. The pleural effusions are exudative and there is dilatation of both visceral and parietal pleural lymphatics with perilymphatic inflammation.