Background: Seborrheic dermatitis is an inflammatory skin disease that affects 1-3% of the general population. The Malassezia species has been implicated as the main causative agent; however, the bacterial flora of the skin may also play role in the etiopathogenesis. Therefore, we investigated the most common bacterial agent of the skin flora of patients with seborrheic dermatitis.
Materials and methods: Fifty-one patients with seborrheic dermatitis and 50 healthy individuals are included in this study. Sterile cotton swabs were rubbed on the scalp of the participants for bacterial culture. Colonial morphology was identified with gram stain and catalase test.
Results: Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from 25 (49%) patients with seborrheic dermatitis and 10 (20%) healthy individuals within the control group. Coagulase-negative staphylococci were isolated from 24 (47.1%) patients with seborrheic dermatitis and 17 (34%) healthy individuals within the control group. Diphtheroids were present in 2 (3.9%) patients and 1 (2%) subject within the control group. Gram-negative bacilli were present only in 1 (2%) patient. Hemolytic streptococci and bacilli were identified in 1 (2%) subject from each group. Colonization of coagulase-negative staphylococci, diphtheroids, gram-negative bacilli, hemolytic streptococci, and bacillus did not differ between patients and healthy controls. However, S. aureus colonization was significantly more common in patients with seborrheic dermatitis than in healthy controls.
Conclusion: Within this study we revealed that S. aureus colonization was significantly higher among the patients. Therefore, we propose that, in addition to the Malassezia species, S. aureus may play a role in the etiopathogenesis of seborrheic dermatitis.
Keywords: Malassezia; Staphylococcus aureus; bacterial skin flora; seborrheic dermatitis.