A Clinical Study of 55 Cases of Geographic Tongue

Choi, Yoon Jin; Bang, Dongsik

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Geographic tongue (GT) is an inflammatory disorder of the oral mucosa. The clinical characteristics of GT have not been studied in Korea.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics, associated factors, and treatment outcomes of GT.
METHODS
We reviewed the medical records and clinical photographs of 55 cases who had been diagnosed with GT during the last 5 years.
RESULTS
Of the 55 cases, 15 were male and 40 were female. The average age of onset was 29.3 years, and the highest incidence occurred in the 10~19 age group. The clinical type without circinate border was found in 67.3% of the cases and the clinical type with circinate border in 32.7% of the cases. Fissured tongue was found in 40% of the cases. Except for the 11 asymptomatic cases, the rest of the cases complained of various symptoms related to pain, irritation, and sensory changes. Hot, spicy or salty food acted as an aggravating factor in 74.5% of the cases and fatigue or stress in 61.8% of the cases. The majority of our cases (80.0%) were treated with topical steroid or steroid gargle or with a combination of both, and improvement was observed in 75.0% of this group.
CONCLUSION
This is the first clinical study of GT in Korean literature. This study showed differences with previous studies in the proportion of cases with symptoms and aggravating factors. This study also suggested that topical steroid or steroid gargle could be the treatment of choice for GT.