Abstract
In a randomly collected series of 175 cases of pityriasis versicolor in residents of the central-northern part of Venezuela, 13% of the patients were infected with ovoid unicellular units of the causal fungus (Malassezia ovalis) and 87% with globous unicellular units in the scales (M. furfur). Only globous unicellular units (Pityrosporum orbiculare) were seen outside the active lesions and in these, after the successful treatment with ketoconazole. The median age of 40 ‘ovalis’ patients was 37.5 years; the same in 40 ‘furfur’ patients was 24.5 years. The median age at the moment of discovering the first lesions among ‘ovalis’ patients was 31; among ‘furfur’ patients this was 20 years. There were 16 male patients among the ‘ovalis’ and 24 among the ‘furfur’ groups of 40. The topographic distribution of the lesions varied according to the type of the invader. M. ovalis prevailed on the trunk below the waist-line and on the limbs, mainly on buttocks and upper legs. M. furfur prevailed on the chest, neck, face and upper limbs.
The hypothesis is offered that the ovoid agent of pityriasis versicolor preferentially occupies the less sweating and sebum-producing parts of the body in older (and drier) persons than the globous type does.
Similar content being viewed by others
Referencias
Arenas, R., J. A. Garcia & R. Estrada, 1982. Pityriasis versicolor: étude de 100 cas méxicains. Bull. Soc. Fr. Mycol. Méd. XI: 65–67.
Borelli, D., 1974. Uso del plástico adhesivo para toma de muestras epicutáneas. Med. Cut. I.L.A. No. 4: 277–284.
Borelli, D., 1980. Treatment of pityriasis versicolor with ketoconazole. Rev. Inf. Dis. 2: 592–595.
Borelli, D., 1982. Quetoconazol y sudoración. Dermat. Venez. 20: 7–11.
Borelli, D., H. Rodríguez & C. Marcano, 1979. Pitiriasis versicolor. Tratamiento per os con ketoconazol. Rev. Fund. J. M. Vargas 2(10): 19–23.
Caprilli, F., M. Nazzaro Porro & S. Passi, 1971. Pitiriasi versicolore. Studio clinico. Boll. Ist. Dermat. S. Gallicano 7: 71–90.
Cardoso, A. E. C., 1969. Pitiríase versicolor. Estudo comparativo de acöes terapéuticas. Rev. Brasil. Medicina 26(10): separata de 4 páginas.
Chetty, G. N., A. Kamalam & A. S. Thambiah, 1979. Pityriasis versicolor — A study of 200 cases in a tropical skin clinic. Mykosen 22: 234–246.
Civila, E. A., R. A. Vignale & I. A. Conti-DíazA., 1980. Malassezia ovalis: mycologic and immuno-antigenic aspects and probable pathogenic role. Proc. V Int. Conf. Mycoses. Caracas, Venezuela. 27–30 April, 1980. Sci. Publ. No. 396 PAHO: 55–62.
El-Hefnawi, H., Z. El-Gothany & M. Refai, 1971. Studies on pityriasis versicolor in Egypt. II. Clinical and therapeutic. Mykosen 14: 483–490.
Emmons, Ch. W., Ch. H. Binford, J. P. Utz & K. J. Kwon-Chung, 1977. Medical Mycology. Lea & Febiger, 3rd Ed.: 178.
Faergemann, J. & Sv. Bernarder. Micro-aerophilic and anaerobic growth of Pityrosporum species. Sabouraudia 19: 117–121.
Gordon, M. A., 1951. Lipophilic yeastlike organisms associated with tinea versicolor. J. Inv. Dermat. 17: 267–272.
Gougerot, H., 1936. Pityriasis versicolor. Nouvelle Pratique Dermatologique, Vol II: 271–283.
Lodder, J., 1970. The Yeasts. A Taxonomic Study, 2nd ed. North-Holland, Amsterdam, London: 1181.
Marples, Mary J., 1965. The Ecology of Human Skin. Charles Thomas, Springfield: 420.
Michalowski, R. & H. Rodziewicz, 1965. Pityriasis versicolor in the aged. Brit. J. Dermat. 77: 388–390.
Nazzaro-Porro, M., S. Passi, F. Caprilli & R. Mercantini, 1977. Induction of hyphae in cultures of Pityrosporum by cholesterol and cholesterol eslers. J. Inv. Dermat. 69: 531–534.
Negroni, P., 1957. Estudios sobre la seborrea. II. El cultivo del Pityrosporum ovale. Rev. Argentina Dermat.: 33–38. Separata.
Pereiro, M. M., 1971. Epidemiologie de la pityriasis versicolor: Comptes rendus du ler Multicolloque européen de parasitologie, Rennes, 1–4 Sept., 1971: 492–501.
Randjanliche, M., 1979. Le Genre Pityrosporum Sabouraud, 1904. Thése de Liége: 214 pp.
Robin, Ch., 1853. Histoire Naturelle des Végétaux Qui Croissent Sur L'Homme et Sur Les Animaux Vivants. Paris, Baillére: 436–439.
Salcedo, N., 1980. Cultures and physiologic properties of the fungus producing tinea versicolor. Proc. V Int. Conf. Mycoses. Caracas, 27–30 April 1980. Sci. Publ. No. 396 PAHO: 44–54.
Vanbreuseghem, R., 1950. Un problème de mycologie médicinale: le pityriasis versicolor. Ann. Inst. Pasteur 79: 798–801.
Vanbreuseghem, R. & R. de Tiège, 1952. Contribution à l'étude du Pityriasis versicolor et de Pityrosporum ovale. Ann. Soc. Belge Méd. Trop. 32: 521–527.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Borelli, D. Pitiriasis versicolor por malassezia ovalis . Mycopathologia 89, 147–153 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00447023
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00447023