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Traditionally, identification of fungal species on the skin has relied upon direct visualization and culture. Furthermore, the contribution of fungi to disorders such as seborrheic dermatitis remains unclear. Efforts to characterize the skin microbiome are important to understanding how microorganisms contribute to inflammatory and infectious dermatoses.
Findley and colleagues used DNA sequencing of ribosomal DNA to characterize the spectrum of fungal organisms on skin. In samples from 10 volunteers, the greatest diversity of fungi was found on the plantar heel (80 genera), toe web (60), and toenail (40). All sites were dominated by Malassezia, with Aspergillus, Cryptococcus, Rhodotorula, and Epicoccum also present on the plantar heel. Speci…