The introduction reviews the possible pathogenicity of Pityrosporum ovale (Bizzozero 1884) Castellani et Chalmers and its differentiation from Pityrosporum orbiculare Gordon. Methods and results are presented, including descriptions of microscopic and macroscopic features of cultures grown from pathological manifestations on the scalp. P. ovale is a lipophilic yeast known for more than 100 years, but its cultivation and diagnosis remain challenging. Although once considered a saprophyte, P. ovale is now seen as the causative agent of pityriasis simplex capillitii due to its response to treatment with econazole nitrate.
Fragner P. (1980): Pityrosporum ovale and its cultivation from the scalp. – Česká Mykologie 34(1): 29–34.
