Prevalence of pityriasis versicolor in a group of Italian pregnant women.
BACKGROUND
Although a predisposing role of pregnancy to Malassezia infections is referred, data on the prevalence of pityriasis versicolor (PV) in pregnant women are not available in literature.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the frequency of PV during pregnancy, 60 pregnant women were clinically and microscopically investigated during and after pregnancy.


RESULTS
Fifty-two women completed all visits; three women were affected by PV at first or third trimester of pregnancy, and none at 6 months after delivery. Colonization due to Malassezia yeasts was very significantly (P < 0.01) or significantly increased (P < 0.05) at the third trimester and 6 months after delivery, respectively. No variation was observed between the end of pregnancy and the postpartum (P > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Frequency of PV during pregnancy (5.7%) does not seem different from that reported in general population living in temperate climates (2-5%). However, higher degree of colonization by Malassezia resulted at the end of pregnancy and postpartum.
Zampino
M R
MR
Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Dermatology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
Osti
F
F
Corazza
M
M
Virgili
A
A
D000328:Adult; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008290:Malassezia; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D014010:Tinea Versicolor / Q000453:epidemiology*