Seborrheic Dermatitis: Three Novel Trichoscopic Signs and Its Correlation to Malassezia sp. Colonization

Seborrheic dermatitis (SD) is a chronic recurrent erythemato-squamous condition that affects seborrheic areas causing flaking, erythema, and pruritus. Etiology is multifactorial and the role of Malassezia sp.remains controversial. We present a series of 12 patients with trichoscopic and direct microscopic exams. We analyzed the presence of the already known SD trichoscopic signs and its correlation to the amount of Malassezia sp. in the scalp. We describe three novel signs: the "dandelion" vascular conglomerate, the "cherry blossom" vascular pattern, and the intrafollicular oily material; of which the "dandelion" vascular conglomerate was the only trichoscopic sign to correlate with Malassezia colonization. This study correlates trichoscopic signs in SD and the quantity of Malassezia sp. We describe three new signs that can be useful to determine indirectly the fungal colonization of the scalp in SD.