Polyarteritis nodosa associated with streptococcus.

Twelve children are described with an essentially benign vasculitic illness in association with streptococcal infection. They demonstrated characteristic clinical features of nodular cutaneous polyarteritis with fever. Laboratory findings showed an acute phase response associated with raised antistreptolysin and antihyaluronidase titres in all patients and a positive throat culture for beta haemolytic streptococcus in three patients. Ten required corticosteroids. Two patients had systemic involvement with abnormal arteriography; both had appreciably raised white cell counts (> 40 x 10(9)/l). They may represent a subset of poststreptococcal vasculitis, requiring cytotoxic treatment for effective disease control.