Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Malassezia yeast in healthy and infected dog ears compared
By Girão, M D et al.·Published in Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)·2006·Faculty of Veterinary, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Malassezia pachydermatis isolated from normal and diseased external ear canals in dogs: a comparative analysis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that dogs with ear infections often had a yeast called Malassezia pachydermatis in their ears. In dogs suffering from otitis (ear infections), about 64% had this yeast present, while only 21% of healthy dogs with one infected ear showed signs of it. Poodles were the most affected breed among those with ear infections, and most of the dogs were between 1 and 3 years old. This suggests that Malassezia pachydermatis may play a role in causing ear infections in dogs. Treatment typically involves antifungal medications to clear the infection.
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Abstract
To investigate the role of Malassezia pachydermatis as a pathogenic agent in canine otitis, a comparative analysis of isolates from normal and diseased external ear canals in dogs was undertaken. Specimens were collected from the ears of dogs with unilateral or bilateral otitis and from healthy dogs. Mycological analysis was by direct microscopy and fungal culture on Sabouraud's dextrose agar and Dixon's agar. Of the otitis specimens, 63.7% showed typical Malassezia cells on cytological examination. In samples taken from the healthy ears of dogs with unilateral otitis, only 21.43% (P<0.05) showed evidence of Malassezia. M. pachydermatis was identified cytologically and culturally in 57.53% (P<0.05), 14.29% and 30.0% of samples from the ears of dogs with otitis, from the healthy ears of dogs with unilateral otitis and from the ears of healthy dogs with no otitis. In the group with otitis associated with M. pachydermatis, the poodle was the most common breed (39.29%; P<0.05), whereas in the group without otitis, the German Shepherd breed was prominent (although this observation was not statistically significant). In both groups, the majority of dogs with M. pachydermatis were aged between 1 and 3 years (P<0.05). The higher incidence of M. pachydermatis isolated from the ears of dogs with otitis externa suggests a putative pathogenic role of this yeast in this condition.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16154787/