{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,12]],"date-time":"2026-03-12T00:14:29Z","timestamp":1773274469454,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,11]],"date-time":"2026-03-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1773187200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Nacional Aut\u00f3noma de M\u00e9xico"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JoF"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Pityriasis versicolor (PV) is a common superficial mycosis caused by Malassezia species. To describe the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of PV in Acapulco, Mexico, and to identify the associated Malassezia species using polymerase chain reaction\u2013restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2024 at Acapulco General Hospital and a private dermatology clinic. Patients with clinically suspected PV and no recent antifungal or immunosuppressive treatment were enrolled. Skin scales were examined microscopically and cultured on modified Dixon agar. Isolates were identified using conventional methods and PCR-RFLP with HhaI and BstCI enzymes. Results: Sixty-nine patients were included; 68.1% were male, and the most affected age group was 11\u201320 years (34.8%). The hypochromic variant predominated (63.8%). PCR-RFLP identified M. globosa (33.3%) and M. furfur (31.9%) as the most frequent species, followed by M. restricta, M. sympodialis, and M. slooffiae. Species identification was unsuccessful in 11.6% of isolates. No statistically significant associations were found between clinical variants, gender, or species distribution. Conclusions: M. globosa and M. furfur were the predominant species in this tropical Mexican cohort. PCR-RFLP is a practical option for species-level identification, highlighting the diversity of Malassezia in PV.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jof12030202","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,11]],"date-time":"2026-03-11T09:00:37Z","timestamp":1773219637000},"page":"202","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Chromatic Variants of Pityriasis Versicolor and Molecular Species Identification Using Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP)"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-5554-1735","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marina","family":"Romero-Navarrete","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Acapulco General Hospital IMSS Bienestar, Acapulco 39910, Guerrero, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Francisca","family":"Hern\u00e1ndez-Hern\u00e1ndez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Mycology Unit, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City 09230, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2992-9564","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Roberto","family":"Arenas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Mycology Section, Hospital General \u201cDr. Manuel Gea Gonzalez\u201d, Mexico City 14080, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2083-6900","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Aureliano","family":"Castillo-Solana","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Acapulco General Hospital IMSS Bienestar, Acapulco 39910, Guerrero, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6776-0109","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lizbeth Magnolia","family":"Mart\u00ednez-Aguilar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Mycology Unit, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City 09230, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-3896-4460","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Erika","family":"C\u00f3rdova-Mart\u00ednez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Mycology Unit, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City 09230, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Brianda Stephanie","family":"Herrera-Ram\u00edrez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Mycology Unit, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City 09230, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-4952-2020","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Settanan","family":"Plangsiri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1654-9706","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Teerapong","family":"Rattananukrom","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2022-9-2","DOI":"10.7573\/dic.2022-9-2","article-title":"Tinea versicolor: An updated review","volume":"11","author":"Leung","year":"2022","journal-title":"Drugs Context"},{"key":"ref_2","first-page":"11","article-title":"Epidemiological characterization of pityriasis versicolor and distribution of Malassezia species among students in Hai Phong city, Vietnam","volume":"6","author":"Nguyen","year":"2020","journal-title":"Curr. 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