A therapeutic trial of the use of penicillin V or erythromycin with or without rifampin in the treatment of psoriasis.

Abstract

After the publication of an uncontrolled trial of nine patients with streptococcus-associated psoriasis who appeared to benefit from a course of oral penicillin or erythromycin with the addition of rifampin in the last 5 days, we wished to confirm or refute the validity of this observation. Our purpose was to confirm the effectiveness of antibiotics in the treatment of streptococcus-associated psoriasis. Twenty patients were placed randomly into two groups. One group was given penicillin or erythromycin for 14 days with a placebo added during the last 5 of the 14 days. The other group received the same medication with the addition of rifampin in the last 5 days. Although all the patients studied met the criteria of the reported preliminary study, we were unable to detect any evidence of improvement in their psoriasis. There was no apparent benefit for patients with streptococcus-associated psoriasis from a course of oral penicillin or erythromycin with the addition of rifampin in the last 5 days in a 14-day trial.