PITYRIASIS VERSICOLOR   (TINEA VERSICOLOR)-Fungal infection

 DEFINITION

This is a mild, chronic infection of the skin caused by Malassezia yeasts, and characterized by discrete or confluent, scaly, discoloured or depigmented areas, mainly on the upper trunk.

CAUSATIVE AGENT

Pityrosporum ovale and P. orbiculare

Malassezia furfur

Colonization by these species is especially dense in the scalp, the upper trunk and flexures – areas rich in sebaceous glands and their secretions. In a warm climate, more hyphae are associated with Malassezia yeasts in normal skin.

Pityriasis versicolor in most cases represents a shift in the relationship between the host and the resident yeast flora. Factors contributing to the change are probably multiple.

Clinical features

• The patient usually has a patchy and varying change of skin colour, but mild irritation is sometimes noticed. The primary lesion is a sharply demarcated macule, sometimes slightly erythematous, but characterized essentially by fine scaly.
• Itching
• Scaling

TREATMENT

HOMEOPATHY MEDICINE