[7] Malassezia sympodialis, often has a symbiotic or commensal relationship with its host, but it can act as a pathogen causing a number of different skin diseases,[8] such as atopic dermatitis.

[8] The name applied to the fungal agent responsible shifted multiple times over the next 150 years until the genus Pityrosporum was settled upon for the teleomorph, and Malassezia for the anamorph.

[5] The colonies achieve a size of 5 mm in diameter after a week of growth, and develop a soft texture and a round, smooth shape.

[11] The individual cells are oval in shape[4][10][11] and 2.5-7.5 × 2.0-8.0 μm in size and acquire a yellowish appearance en masse when grown in culture at 37 °C (99 °F).

[5] There are several different types of cells, such as neutrophils, that search their environment for antigens by using pattern recognition receptors and are essential in the innate immune response.

[5] Confirmation of the agent of disease involves microscopic examination of skin scrapings from the infected individuals for the presence of thick-walled yeast cells intermixed with broad hyphae.

[5] Seborrheic dermatitis is a skin disorder where inflammation and desquamation occurs in areas of the body with a high density of sebaceous glands, particularly the face and trunk.

[5] Although M. sympodialis has been reported as an agent of seborrhoeic dermatitis and dandruff, other species including M. furfur and M. globosa are more commonly associated with the disorder.