23 March 2022 (Wednesday) - Geographic Tongue

Geographic tongue” was given as a diagnosis on a blood count I saw today. The results of that blood count were unremarkable, but the term “Geographic tongue” wasn’t. It was a new one to me…

According to the rare diseases databaseGeographic tongue is a benign condition characterized by inflammation of the tongue (glossitis) that appears in a map-like (geographic) pattern. The normal tongue is covered by a layer of small bumps known as papillae. In affected individuals, certain areas of the tongue are missing these bumps. These affected areas usually appear as smooth, red or pink colored, degenerated (atrophic) patches. Geographic tongue tends to come and go it usually heals without treatment, but will recur again usually affecting a different area of the tongue. Most cases are not associated with any symptoms (asymptomatic) and the condition usually goes away without treatment. Geographic tongue is not associated with any long-term health complications in healthy individuals. The exact cause of geographic tongue is unknown.

I’ve actually had this in the past, and it has cleared up with no active intervention…

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