INFECTIVE ENDOCARDITIS SECONDARY TO CHRONIC SKIN PICKING

This publication reports a clinically followed case of infective endocarditis secondary to chronic skin picking behavior in a patient with a psychiatric disorder. Recurrent skin trauma led to pyoderma and subsequent Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia, complicated by septicemia and infective endocarditis. Early recognition in an internal medicine setting, combined with multidisciplinary management involving infectious diseases, cardiology, and psychiatry, allowed appropriate treatment and patient survival. This case highlights the critical relationship between psychiatric comorbidity, skin barrier disruption, and life-threatening systemic infection, emphasizing the importance of integrated care.