Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Malassezia skin infection signs and diagnosis in dogs in Brazil
By Machado, Mauro L S et al.·Published in Veterinary dermatology·2011·Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Malassezia dermatitis in dogs in Brazil: diagnosis, evaluation of clinical signs and molecular identification.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with skin problems, including itching, redness, and hair loss, were found to have high levels of Malassezia yeast, which can cause skin infections. Researchers discovered that dogs with these symptoms had significantly more yeast in their skin compared to healthy dogs. The severity of their skin issues, measured by a scoring system, was directly related to the amount of yeast present. Most of the yeast identified was a type called Malassezia pachydermatis. This suggests that dogs with high yeast counts should be diagnosed with Malassezia dermatitis and may need treatment to manage their skin condition.
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Abstract
Skin carriage and quantification of Malassezia yeasts were evaluated in 180 healthy dogs (group 1) and 117 dogs with clinical signs (pruritus, erythema, lichenification/seborrhoea, excoriations and alopecia) that could be related to Malassezia dermatitis (group 2) in Brazil. The lesions in the group 2 dogs were evaluated using CADESI-03 scores. Samples were collected from five different anatomical areas. Direct examination was performed using the tape strip technique, and results were expressed as the mean number of yeasts per ×1000 microscopic field per dog. For mycological culture, a single piece of sterilized carpet was applied to the same areas sampled for cytology, and transferred onto Dixon's modified medium. Yeast populations were expressed as mean colony forming units (CFU)/plate. Malassezia isolates were characterized by polymerase chain reaction-restriction endonuclease analysis of the large subunit (LSU) of ribosomal RNA gene. The probability of culturing Malassezia from dogs with skin lesions was significantly higher (P<0.001) than from healthy dogs. There was a linear trend between CADESI-03 score and mean CFU/plate. Group 2 dogs with positive cultures had higher CADESI-03 scores than those with negative cultures (P<0.05). Almost all isolates were identified as Malassezia pachydermatis. Only one isolate (group 2) was identified as Malassezia furfur. These data suggest that dogs with skin disorders harbouring Malassezia yeasts in quantities higher than 120 mean CFU/plate should be considered as having Malassezia dermatitis. The presence of Malassezia appears to exacerbate clinical lesions in dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20609207/