Evaluation of selected physiological and morphological characteristics of Pityrosporum pachydermatis isolated from clinical cases of otitis externa and dermatitis in dogs and cats.

Physiological properties and proportion of typical features of Pityrosporum pachydermatis were determined on 385 strains from clinical cases of O.E and dermatitis in dogs. Carbohydrates and nitrogen assimilation were determined auxanographically. Urease production and enzyme release were assessed on Christensen's medium and API-ZYM respectively. All strains oxidised carbohydrates in the OF test. 90% assimilation of glucose and production of urease are typical of Pityrosporum, contrary to 100% positive reactions in literature data. Production of acid and alkaline phosphatases, phosphohydrolase, leucin arylamidase, and beta-glucosidase dominated, while lipase C14, esterase-lipase C8, esterase C14 and alpha-galactosidase were variable.