Conditions Associated With A Fissured Tongue

Fissured tongue is the name of a generally harmless condition where multiple grooves mark the surface of the tongue. The condition is normally painless and thus patients may not notice it until a routine dental exam or annual physical. There are several common patterns of grooves. The most common is a central groove down the length of the tongue with smaller grooves radiating outward. These grooves may be up to six millimeters deep. There is no treatment for a fissured tongue, though a dentist may suggest tongue-brushing to remove food particles from deeper fissures. While the origins of fissured tongues are unclear, it is associated with various other health conditions. Learn about them now.

Down Syndrome

Down syndrome is the name for a set of conditions and physical features that are the result of an extra copy of chromosome 21 in the patient’s genetic code. A cell division error in early development leads to forty-seven chromosomes instead of the normal forty-six. This genetic abnormality impacts both the patient’s mental and physical development. Along with an enlarged tongue and a smaller palette, fissured tongue is a common feature in individuals with this syndrome, with about eighty percent of children with Down syndrome having this condition. These oral features, along with a decrease in mental development, can make speaking difficult for patients with the syndrome.

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Benign-Migratory Glossitis

Benign-migratory glossitis is an oral condition where the tongue looks spotted in appearance due to patches of missing papillae on its surface. The condition is also known as geographic tongue as some think the patchy appearance of the tongue with this condition looks like a map. Like fissured tongue, the origins of benign-migratory glossitis are not entirely understood. Geographic tongue is painless, though patients with the condition may be less tolerant of spicy foods as well as having other issues with their sense of taste. Benign-migratory glossitis and fissured tongue often appear together, though their relationship is unclear. Both conditions seem to have a genetic component as they run in families.

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Melkersson-Rosenthal Syndrome

Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome is a neurological disorder with a genetic component. The symptoms of this disorder include facial swelling, partial-facial paralysis, and fissured tongue. These symptoms are not constant but may come and go without warning throughout a patient’s life. This syndrome, though incurable, is not life-threatening. Treatment involves addressing the symptoms as they occur. For example, corticosteroids or immunosuppressants may be prescribed to reduce facial swelling. In more extreme cases, surgery will be performed to improve the function of facial nerves. Patients with the syndrome may also need speech therapy if facial swelling, especially swelling of the lips, lasts for an extended period.

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Genetic Link

The genetic link to fissured tongue is not entirely understood, though the condition does seem to be passed on from one generation to the next. Part of the challenge in understanding the genetics of fissured tongue is it is a feature of other syndromes with genetic links, making it difficult to find a clear link to the root cause. Another issue is the likelihood of having fissured tongue increases with age, and the condition may appear in individuals without a family history of fissured tongue. It is unclear whether genetic factors simply predispose patients toward having the condition at some point or predispose them to an earlier onset of the condition.

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Oral Psoriasis

Oral psoriasis is another condition linked to a fissured tongue, though there is some debate about the nature of this condition. Psoriasis in the mouth is very unusual, and some doctors question whether the condition should be labeled psoriasis at all. Individuals who support a diagnosis of oral psoriasis note it is a condition that occurs when other areas of psoriasis flare on the patient’s skin. Some of the symptoms of this condition include fissured tongue, mouth blisters, and changes in taste. Patients with this condition are asked to refrain from spicy foods, smoking, and other oral irritants. In some cases, oral steroids will be prescribed as part of a general treatment of psoriasis.