Identification of Malassezia Species Isolated from Pityriasis Versicolor by CHROMagar-Medium

Abstract

Abstract Background Pityriasis versicolor is a chronic superficial fungal infection seen worldwide, with high prevalence observed in hot and humid climates. Objectives The aim of this work was to isolate and identify Malassezia species from pityriasis versicolor using specific fast gtowth media; Chrom agar to obtain a better understanding of the role of each species in the etiology of disease. Patients and Methods This study was conducted on 70 patients with clinical diagnosis of pityriasis versicolor with positive KOH test. All of the participants were subjected to a well informed consents, full history taking including age, sex, site of the lesions and any previous treatment, full general and dermatological examination to determine site, color of the lesions and Wood's light examination. Results Our results reported 94.3% of studied patients yielded growth on culture while 5.7% did not show any growth. The predominant age group was ≥ 25 years old. Furthermore it was found that PV affected male subjects (62.90%) more than the females (37.1%). Conclusion Malassezia yeasts, although are considered a part of normal skin microbiome, is a known cause of pityriasis versicolor. PV was more common in males in the age group ≥ 25yrs. The most affected body site was the chest, the most common variant is hyperpigmented type, and the commonest isolate was M.furfur.