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Inflammation (Glossitis)

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Tongue Lesions

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Abstract

Glossitis, also known as “burning tongue syndrome” or “smooth tongue” means soreness of the tongue, or more usually inflammation [1] with loss of the lingual papillae (depapillation) of the dorsal surface of the tongue, leaving a smooth, shiny, and erythematous surface [2, 3] (sometimes specifically termed atrophic glossitis). Glossitis is often caused by nutritional deficiencies and may be painless or cause discomfort. Severe cases of glossitis can be painful and cause tongue swelling and difficulty in speech or swallowing. Glossitis usually responds well to treatment if the cause is identified and corrected. Tongue soreness caused by glossitis is differentiated from “burning mouth syndrome,” where there is no identifiable change in the appearance of the tongue, and there are no identifiable causes [4].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt

    Mahmoud F. Sakr

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Sakr, M.F. (2022). Inflammation (Glossitis). In: Tongue Lesions. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-08198-9_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-08198-9_8

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