© 1994 British Society for Rheumatology
research-article |
FOCAL INFECTION REVISITED
Department of Rheumatology, St Peter's Hospital Trust Guildford Road, Chertsey, Surrey KT16 0PZ
This paper reviews the theory of focal infection that was widely held to explain the aetiology of inflammatory joint disease in the first three decades of this century. The theoretical basis for these beliefs and the practical consequences for physician and patient alike are examined, as are the results of such radical treatments as were applied.
KEY WORDS: Arthritis, focal infection, bacteria, history