The yeast-like colonies seen growing on the blood agar surface in the upper image on the right are lipid-dependent and grow only where olive oil had been applied. This is characteristic of the yeast-like organism, Malassezia furfur, which causes a superficial skin infection known as tinea versicolor. The lower image is a lactophenol blue mount made from a portion of the colony seen on the blood agar plate.
Malassezia species, M. furfur and M. pachydermatis, may also cause catheter related sepsis in patients receiving intravenous lipids.
