Bacteriology of psoriatic plaques.

Qualitative and quantitative studies of cutaneous bacterial flora were carried out in psoriatic patients and normal healthy controls. In psoriatics, the flora isolated from the affected skin was compared with the flora of adjacent normal skin. No significant qualitative difference was observed. The total number of bacteria isolated from the psoriatic plaque was significantly higher than on the adjacent normal skin. Flora of normal skin of psoriatics when compared with the skin of healthy controls did not reveal any qualitative difference, but a statistically significant difference was observed in the total bacterial counts. The nasal carriage rate of Staphylococcus aureus in psoriatics was higher than the control groups.