Blood hyperviscosity in psoriasis.

A study of platelet function and whole-blood viscosity in 11 patients with the confirmed diagnosis of psoriasis revealed a significant elevation in whole-blood viscosity (3.33 +/- 0.37 cP) as compared with that found in a control group (2.80 +/- 0.1 cP). The platelet count and platelet aggregation with ADP, epinephrine and collagen as well as platelet malonyldialdehyde were all within the normal range in all the patients. It is suggested that the increased blood viscosity may contribute to the higher incidence of occlusive vascular disease occurring in patients with psoriasis.