Background: Etiological role of Malassezia spp. remains controversial in certain skin diseases.
Objective: To adapt a 'tape method' for quantitative culture of Malassezia spp.
Method: Samples for culture were taken from clinically normal forehead skin of HIV-positive and negative persons by stripping with a tape that was then placed on Leeming & Notman medium. The number of colonies was counted after 14 days.
Results: 74/78 (94.8%) cultures were positive, for a median count of 9 CFU/tape (range 0 to > 200). High skin density of Malassezia spp., defined as more than 100 CFU/tape, was found in 7/38 (18.4%) HIV-positive persons and was absent (0/40) in the HIV-negative group (p < 0.01).
Conclusion: The method used is simple, unexpensive and reliable. High Malassezia spp. density was only found in HIV-positive patients.