SUPERFICIAL MYCOSIS
 Species of Malassezia are considered part of the
1. Superfisial mycosis
 Fungal infection on superficial of the skin or hair
shaft (stratum corneum)
 No living tissue is invaded
 No inflamation or cellular response
 Patients are often unaware of their condition
Pityriasis versicolor
 Chronic mild superficial infection of the stratum
corneum
 Caused by: Malassezia furfur
 Host responses (scaling, inflammation, and
irritation) are minimal.
 Discrete, serpentine, hyper- or hypopigmented
maculae occur on the skin, usually on the chest,
upper back, arms, or abdomen.
microbial flora  can be isolated from normal
skin and scalp.
 They have been implicated as a cause of or
contributor to seborrheic dermatitis, or dandruff.
Laboratory Diagnosis
1. Clinical material:
Skin scrapings from patients with superficial
lesions, blood from patients with suspected
fungaemia.
2. Direct Microscopy:
 Skin scrapings  10% KOH, glycerol and
Parker ink solution  spagety and meat
ball (yeast and pseudohyphae)
 Culture preparations are usually not
necessary.
M. furfur on skin scrapping specimen with GMS staining
(left) and KOH staining (right):
spagety and meatballs appearance
Culture
 Only necessary in suspected fungaemia
 M. furfur is a lipophilic yeastin vitro growth
must be stimulated by natural oils or other fatty
substances.
 Medium:
– Sabouraud's dextrose agar with olive oil
– or Dixon's agar (contains glycerol mono-
oleate)
 Rapid growth: (best growth 37 C, 3 days)
Tinea Nigra (Tinea Nigra Palmaris) Black piedra
 A superficial chronic and asymptomatic infection  Nodular infection of the hair shaft
of the stratum corneum  Caused by Piedraia hortai
 Caused by: the dematiaceous fungus Hortaea  Axillary, pubic, beard, and scalp hair may be
(Exophiala) werneckii. infected.
 More prevalent in warm coastal regions and  Treatment:
among young women. – Removal of hair
 The lesions appear as a dark (brown to black) – Topical antifungal agent
discoloration, often on the palm.

Laboratory Diagnosis
Hortaea (Exophiala) werneckii  Specimen: hair with hard black nodule
 A common saprophytic fungus  Staining with 10%KOH
 Believed to occur in soil, compost, humus and on  Culture: hair shaft → Sabouraud’s dextrose agar
wood in humid tropical and sub-tropical regions. → 2-3 weeks → black to brown colony →
Laboratory Diagnosis microscopic: septate hyphae with
Diagnosis: chlamydoconidia appearance.
 Specimen: Skin scrapings
 Staining KOH
Branched, septate hyphae and budding yeast cells
(2-celled yeast cells) with melaninized cell walls.
 Cultur: not necessary

White piedra
 Larger, softer, yellowish nodules on the hairs
 Caused by: Trichosporon species
Laboratory Diagnosis
 Specimen: hair with soft white nodule
 Staining with 10% KOH
 Culture: hair shaft → Sabouraud’s dextrose agar
 2-3 weeks → yellowish to deep cream colored,
smooth colonies  mikros: hifa, pseudohifa,
arthroconidia, blastoconidia