Abstract / Summary
Pityriasis versicolor (PV) is a common superficial mycosis caused by lipophilic yeasts of the genus Malassezia. Despite its high prevalence, comprehensive molecular epidemiological data on Malassezia species associated with PV remain limited in several regions of India. Therefore, our study investigated the molecular epidemiology, demographic characteristics, seasonal variation, clinical manifestations, anatomical distribution, and associated predisposing factors among patients with PV from the coastal region of Karnataka. A total of 147 patients clinically diagnosed with PV were included in this study. Skin scrapings were isolated and cultured on lipid-rich media, and isolates were identified using polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing. Molecular identification was performed for 182 Malassezia isolates. Malassezia furfur was the predominant species at 51.1% (93 isolates), followed by Malassezia japonica at 34.1% (62), Malassezia restricta at 5.5% (10), Malassezia slooffiae at 3.3% (6), Malassezia sympodialis at 2.2% (4), Malassezia arunalokei at 2.2% (4), Malassezia globosa at 1.1% (2), and Malassezia pachydermatis at 0.6% (1). In addition, 20 non-Malassezia yeast isolates were identified, including Candida, Rhodotorula, Meyerozyma, and Trichosporon. The study population had a mean age of 27.8 ± 14.9 years, with a male-to-female ratio of 2.2:1. Most cases occurred among individuals aged 10–39 years, while M. furfur remained the predominant species across all age groups and both genders. Seasonal variation was evident, with the highest number of cases recorded during September. Clinically, hypopigmented macules were the predominant lesion type, and the back was the most frequently affected anatomical site. Underlying medical conditions or potential predisposing factors were identified in 18 patients (12.2%), with alcohol-related disorders and immunosuppressive conditions being the most frequently documented. Analyzing all these data, the present study provides updated molecular epidemiological data on Malassezia species causing PV in the coastal region of Karnataka. The predominance of M. furfur and the unexpectedly high prevalence of M. japonica highlight the importance of molecular identification for accurate species-level characterization.