Prevalence of pityrosporum orbiculare on the normal skin of healthy Iraqi people

Abstract EN

Using a peptone-glucose-yeast extract medium containing chloramphenicol and cycloheximide overlaid with olive oil, the lipophilic yeast Pityrosporum orhiculare was isolated from the normal hack skin of the trunk of 120 (92 %) of 130 healthy Iraqis with normal looking skin and from the chests of 110 of them.

These findings are consistent with other studies listed in the discussion and suggest that P.

orhiculare may often be present on the skin without clinical signs.

It seems likely that P.

orhiculare and P.

ovale are forms of the same organism, possibly different stages of a life cycle, and it is necessary to investigate this further together with any geographical variations.