[Durgical](https://durgical.com/en/) › [DurgiPedia](https://durgical.com/en/durgipedia/) › [Microbiology](https://durgical.com/en/microbiology/) › [Yeasts and yeast-like fungi](https://durgical.com/en/microbiology/groups/yeasts-and-yeast-like-fungi/) › Malassezia

[Microbiology](https://durgical.com/en/microbiology/) · [Yeasts and yeast-like fungi](https://durgical.com/en/microbiology/groups/yeasts-and-yeast-like-fungi/)

# Malassezia

- Fungus
- For completeness

A yeast that normally lives on oily skin; with heat and sweat it overgrows and causes pale or dark patches with fine scale on the trunk and arms.

Updated 2026-11-01

Also called: Malassezia furfur, Malassezia globosa, pityriasis versicolor, tinea versicolor

## Key points

- Lipophilic yeast of the normal flora
- KOH: round yeasts with short hyphae
- Hypopigmented patches that do not tan
- Topical azoles or selenium sulfide; relapses often
- M. furfur: fungemia with parenteral lipids in neonates

## At a glance

**Shape**
Clusters of round yeasts next to short filaments

**Family**
Malasseziaceae (Malasseziales, basidiomycete)

**Type**
Lipophilic skin yeast (in lesions: yeasts and short filaments)

**Stain**
KOH or tape strip with methylene blue; PAS on biopsy

**Size**
Yeasts of about 2–8 µm

## Morphology

- In scale: clusters of round yeasts mixed with short curved filaments
- Needs lipids to grow: oil is added to culture media
- Yellow-green fluorescence under Wood's lamp in some lesions

## Transmission

- Endogenous: part of normal skin flora
- Not contagious
- Heat, humidity, sweat and oily skin favour disease

**Reservoir:** Human skin with sebaceous glands

### Isolation precautions

What the care team adds to standard precautions.

- Standard

## Virulence factors

- Uses skin lipids as food
- Azelaic acid and other products that disturb melanin production: pale patches
- Switch from yeast to filament in the lesion

## Diseases it causes

- Pityriasis versicolor: hypo- or hyperpigmented macules with fine scale on the trunk, neck and arms [Pityriasis versicolor →](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/pityriasis-versicolor/)

## Clinical picture

- Patches that do not tan and stand out after sun exposure
- Fine scale that appears on scraping
- Also linked to seborrheic dermatitis and folliculitis
- Fungemia in newborns on lipid-rich parenteral nutrition (M. furfur)

## Diagnosis

- Clinical, supported by KOH or tape strip: round yeasts with short filaments
- Wood's lamp
- Biopsy with PAS if in doubt

## Treatment

Topical antifungals (azoles such as ketoconazole shampoo or cream, selenium sulfide); oral azoles for extensive or recurrent disease. Relapses are common and the skin takes time to regain its colour.

Drug class only; doses and regimens are set by the clinician from the current guideline.

In Pharmacology:

- [Ketoconazole](https://durgical.com/en/pharmacology/ketoconazole/)
- [Fluconazole](https://durgical.com/en/pharmacology/fluconazole/)

## Prevention

- Topical maintenance in hot seasons for people who relapse
- Reducing excess sweat and oils on the skin

## In Colombia

Very common in the hot, humid areas of Colombia, especially in teenagers and young adults.

## Memory aid

Malassezia paints a map on the trunk: patches of many colours (versicolor) that show up best after a day at the beach.

## Test yourself

Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.

## What does KOH show in a pityriasis versicolor lesion?

Clusters of round yeasts mixed with short filaments.

## Why does Malassezia need oil in its culture medium?

It is lipophilic: it relies on outside lipids to grow, like those of oily skin.

## Which serious infection can Malassezia furfur cause in newborns?

Fungemia linked to catheters delivering lipid-rich parenteral nutrition.

[Add to my cards (3)](https://durgical.app/estudiar/?add=/en/microbiology/malassezia/)

## Related

- [Dermatophytes (Trichophyton, Microsporum, Epidermophyton)](https://durgical.com/en/microbiology/dermatophytes/)
- [Candida albicans](https://durgical.com/en/microbiology/candida-albicans/)

## Related conditions

- [Pityriasis versicolor](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/pityriasis-versicolor/)

## What the colours mean

**Gram-positive**
Thick peptidoglycan wall: stains purple.

**Gram-negative**
Thin wall with an outer membrane: stains pink.

**Acid-fast**
Lipid-rich wall (mycobacteria): Ziehl–Neelsen stain.

[← Back to the group: Yeasts and yeast-like fungi](https://durgical.com/en/microbiology/groups/yeasts-and-yeast-like-fungi/)

Educational content on microorganisms; not a treatment guide and no substitute for a health professional's advice. No doses are given.

Sources: [Tinea versicolor: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001465.htm) (MedlinePlus (NLM), 2024); [Tinea versicolor: Overview](https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/a-z/tinea-versicolor-overview) (American Academy of Dermatology, 2024).

## **Spotted a mistake?** We are always improving for the community. Tell us what is wrong and our team will review it. Report a mistake

Representative model, for educational purposes only.

---
Source: https://durgical.com/en/microbiology/malassezia/
License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/microbiology/malassezia/