Background & Objectives: Malassizia furfur (pityrosporum ovale/orbicular) and other related species are ethologic agents of tinea versicolor and pityrosporosis in normal individuals but fungal infections due these yeasts are a major cause of mortality in immunocompromised and cancer patients. Catheter-related fungemia or foliculitis is most common mycoses in immunocompromised cases, but malassezia Spp., has been frequently implicated as the causative agent of peritonitis, septic arthritis, mastitis, and sinusitis and variety ocular infections. In this study we surveyed Pityrosporom ovale in dandruff of patients with leukemia underlying chemotherapy.

  Methods: Over a one year period, 100 scale samples were obtained from 50 patients with leukemia underlying chemotherapy. All samples were stained using Metilin Blue method. In direct microscopic examination, seeing budding yeast cells with certain numbers, (bottle bacillus) on epithelial cells were reported positive sample.

  Results: Pityrosporosis were dtected in %78 patient with Leukemia. Most of patients were range of 21-30 years old (27%), that suffering from increased scale.

  Conclusion: Malassezia fur fur is one of more common noncandidal yeasts causing a variety of fungal infection. This organism is a lipophilic yeast that colonizes superficially in human skin and causes superficial mycoses such as tinea versicolor, rarely catheter– related sepsis, foliculitis and other systemic mycoses. Most reported cases of systemic mycoses due to this yeast have been in neonates or adults with malignancy or immunocompromised patients, who were receiving parenteral lipids via a central vascular catheter, undergo chemotherapy and BMT. As pityrosporosis were positive in over than 82% of studied patients, suggested that for prevention of serious fungal infections and mortality in immunocompromissed patients, it must be considered a suitable anti fungal protocol for these cases such as using shampoo or other drugs containing antifungal agents for treatment of patient underlying chemotherapy.