Atopic dermatitis of infancy and urinary tract infections.

Background: Infants under evaluation for atopic dermatitis (AD) at our clinic undergo a battery of examinations that include urinalysis and urine culture tests with antibiograms. The prevalence of cases with significant bacteriuria and leukocyturia (SBL) appeared to be unexpectedly high.

Objective: This study attempts to establish whether infants with AD should be suspected of having a higher prevalence of urinary tract infections (UTI).

Methods: A retrospective analysis of urine and urine culture tests was performed in 131 infants (84 males and 47 females) aged 1-24 months with untreated AD and in 1,327 control subjects (621 male, 706 female) aged 1-24 months.

Results: SBL was present in 27.5% of cases versus 3% of controls (p < 10(-5)). After routine treatment for AD and antibiotic treatment on the basis of a urine antibiogram, the recurrence rate of SBL, evaluated monthly over a 6-month period, was only 8.3%.

Conclusion: Infants with AD might be at a greater risk for developing UTI, and when treated for AD this risk might be reduced.