Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2006 Feb;161(2):61-5.
doi: 10.1007/s11046-005-0149-4.

Molecular analysis of malassezia microflora from patients with pityriasis versicolor

N Morishita  1 , Y Sei, T Sugita
Affiliations

Molecular analysis of malassezia microflora from patients with pityriasis versicolor

N Morishita et al. Mycopathologia. 2006 Feb.

Abstract

Background: Pityriasis versicolor (PV) is a superficial infection of the stratum corneum caused by Malassezia species. Eleven species have been identified within this genus, namely M. globosa, M. restricta, M. sympodialis, M. furfur, M. obtusa, M. slooffiae, M. pachydermatis, M. dermatis, M. japonica, M. yamatoensis, M. nana. M. furfur has long been identified as the causative fungus of PV. However, recent studies using the culture and isolation identified by morphological and physiological characteristics suggest that M. globosa is the causative agent of PV.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the distribution of PV microorganisms with a molecular-based non-culture method.

Patients: The subjects were 49 patients with PV (32 males, 17 females; 16-83 years old) who visited our outpatient clinic.

Methods: Samples were taken from lesions for direct microscopy with methylene blue and detected Malassezia species without M. pachydermatis and M. nana using a non-culture-based method consisting of nested PCR with specific primers.

Results: The most frequently isolated species were M. globosa and M. restricta (both 93.9%). Only M. globosa was detected from the lesion in which the mycelial form alone was observed microscopically, but M. restricta was not.

Conclusions: Our results suggest that M. globosa is the causative agent of PV.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. J Clin Microbiol. 2003 Oct;41(10):4695-9 - PubMed
    1. Mycopathologia. 2002;154(3):111-7 - PubMed
    1. Med Mycol. 2001 Apr;39(2):199-206 - PubMed
    1. BMC Dermatol. 2004 May 01;4:5 - PubMed
    1. Br J Dermatol. 2000 Oct;143(4):799-803 - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources