Yonsei Med J.  1989 Dec;30(4):334-338. 10.3349/ymj.1989.30.4.334.

Scanning electron microscopy of Malassezia furfur in tinea versicolor

• Lee KH
• Kim YG
• Bang D
• Kim YA

• KMID: 1105561
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.1989.30.4.334

Abstract

Morphologic features of Malassezia(M.) furfur in the horny layer from clinical lesions of tinea versicolor were examined by scanning electron microscopy and compared with the appearance of fungus in the horny layer from normal skin and in culture. In skin lesions of tinea versicolor, M. furfur showed a variety of growth and reproduction patterns. Although the main patterns were budding yeast forms, various patterns suggesting yeast-mycelial conversion were observed and mycelial hyphae were more prominent in the deeper horny layer than in the superficial layers. However, in the skin of normal persons and in culture, M. furfur existed only as yeast forms and no mycelial hyphae or yeast-mycelial conversion forms were seen. This suggests that the morphologic change of M. furfur, from a yeast form to a mycelial hypha one, may play a role in the induction of the clinical lesion of tinea versicolor.

Keyword

Malassezia furfur; tinea versicolor; scanning electron microscopy

MeSH Terms

Biopsy
Comparative Study
Human
Malassezia/isolation and purification/*ultrastructure
Male
Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
Skin Diseases, Infectious/microbiology/pathology
Tinea Versicolor/*microbiology