Infective endocarditis in a patient with atopic dermatitis.

We present the case of a 39-year-old plumber who was diagnosed with infective endocarditis due to Staphylococcus aureus. The route of entry was attributed to the patient scratching pruritic lesions of his poorly controlled atopic dermatitis (eczema). We recommend that medical practitioners of patients with poorly controlled atopic dermatitis should pay particular attention to, and take measures to mitigate against, this risk. <Learning objective: Infective endocarditis can arise in the context of acute exacerbations of atopic dermatitis (eczema). Clinicians need to be aware of this risk and ought actively to manage such acute flares in order to reduce the risk of infective endocarditis arising from pruritic lesions in this population group.>.