Tonsillitis and chronic psoriasis

Although the relationship between streptococcal tonsillitis and acute guttate psoriasis is well recognized, its relationship to chronic forms of psoriasis is less established. In order to explore this further, the authors questioned 35 patients with severe psoriasis and 35 age-matched eczema controls about their history of significant sore throats (i.e. requiring a GP visit) and any resultant worsening of the skin condition. A third of the psoriasis patients reported recurrent sore throats which worsened their skin condition. This was true of only one (3%) of the 35 eczema controls. The authors discuss these findings in the context of recent laboratory work on the association between streptococcal infection and psoriasis.