Malassezia (formerly known as Pityrosporum) has been implicated in some cases of seborrheic dermatitis.
Patients at risk for Malassezia-associated seborrheic dermatitis:
(1) infants
(2) HIV-positive patients with AIDS
(3) immunocompromised patients
Since olive oil is used as a source of long-chain fatty acids for culture of Malassezia in the laboratory, it might be interesting to see if people with occupational exposure to olive oil have a hand dermatitis associated with Malassezia.
Evidence for Malassezia involvement:
(1) positive skin scrapings, with number of yeast correlated with clinical severity
(2) clearance of lesions following therapy with ketoconazole shampoo
Diagnosis would require exclusion of other causes of dermatitis such as Candida.
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