Fissured, hairy, and geographic tongue - BMJ Best Practice
Fissured, hairy, and geographic tongue - BMJ Best Practice
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Fissured tongue is usually a normal variant of tongue appearance and is not considered a pathologic entity. It generally presents in healthy people; however, it is also seen in association with conditions such as Down syndrome and geographic tongue. If the sole manifestation is that of fissured tongue, then no investigations or treatment are usually necessary.
Hairy tongue occurs when the physiologic balance between keratin production and shedding through normal oral function is chronically disrupted with consequent elongation of the keratinized component of the filiform papillae that cover the tongue dorsum. Poor oral intake during illness or oral discomfort secondary to oral ulcerative conditions are examples of situations where physiologic keratin shedding secondary to mechanical debridement may be reduced. Smoking, coffee or tea, or poor oral hygiene are examples of predisposing factors.
Improving oral hygiene, stopping smoking, and using a tongue scraper appropriately aids management of hairy tongue.
Geographic tongue appears as well-demarcated red areas of the dorsal and lateral tongue, with white scalloped borders. Its etiology is unknown and no treatment, other than symptomatic relief, is generally necessary.
Fissured tongue is a common, benign clinical condition of unknown etiology usually affecting the dorsum of the tongue.[1]Bouquot JE, Gundlach KKH. Odd tongues: the prevalence of common tongue lesions in 23,616 white Americans over 35 years of age. Quintessence Int. 1986;17:719-30.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3466199?tool=bestpractice.comOn physical examination, numerous grooves or fissures are seen on the dorsal surface of the tongue; these are usually a few millimeters in depth. They may occur in isolated areas of the tongue or may cover the entire dorsum.
Hairy tongue is a common, benign clinical condition with the hairy appearance on the dorsal tongue caused by keratin retention on the top of the filiform papillae. Hairy tongue presents on the dorsal surface as diffuse hair-like projections, particularly in the midline. The color of the elongated papillae may range from yellow to brown-black. There may be a difference in the color of the elongated papillae due to the exogenous staining from different foods, tobacco, and chromogenic bacteria.[2]Schlager E, St Claire C, Ashack K, et al. Black hairy tongue: predisposing factors, diagnosis, and treatment. Am J Clin Dermatol. 2017 Aug;18(4):563-9.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28247090?tool=bestpractice.com
Geographic tongue is a common, benign clinical condition that predominantly affects the lateral margins, the tip, and the dorsal surface of the tongue. Rarely, it may occur at other sites within the mouth, such as the buccal mucosa, the labial mucosa, and the soft palate. Geographic tongue presents as well-delineated areas of erythema with raised white circinate edges.[3]Jainkittivong A, Langlais RP. Geographic tongue: clinical characteristics of 188 cases. J Contemp Dent Pract. 2005; 6:123-35.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15719084?tool=bestpractice.com
KSS discloses his salary is partially-funded by the University of Bristol and Health Education England. He has also received an educational grant from the Elizabeth Wiley Foundation.
Professor Konrad S. Staines would like to gratefully acknowledge Professor Aisha Sethi, the previous contributor to this topic. AS declares that she has no competing interests.
Head of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Oral Pathology
VU University Medical Centre and Academic Centre for Dentistry
BMJ Best Practice topics are updated on a rolling basis in line with developments in evidence and guidance. The peer reviewers listed here have reviewed the content at least once during the history of the topic.
Peer reviewer affiliations and disclosures pertain to the time of the review.
Schlager E, St Claire C, Ashack K, et al. Black hairy tongue: predisposing factors, diagnosis, and treatment. Am J Clin Dermatol. 2017 Aug;18(4):563-9.Abstract
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