The peripheral corneal melting syndrome and psoriasis: coincidence or association?

The peripheral corneal melting syndrome (PCMS) is a rare disease consisting of marginal corneal thinning that can progress to perforation. The PCMS ca rries a grave prognosis and it is of vital importance that dermatologists a re aware that this may be responsible for a painful red eye in a patient wi th psoriasis. We highlight the features of the PCMS developing in an elderl y woman with long-standing psoriasis to increase awareness of its significa nce, and hypothesize that an association may exist between the two conditio ns. Only one previous report has been published in which the authors specul ate on the possible association of this syndrome with psoriasis, That few o ther cases have been described is either a consequence of under-reporting b y both ophthalmologists and dermatologists unaware of a link or because the relationship between the syndrome and psoriasis is genuinely coincidental.