Contents

Search

hairy tongue; black hairy tongue; lingua villosa nigra

Etiology: - idiopathic - risk factors - smoking - alcohol - poor dental hygiene - medications - bismuth, tetracycline, minocycline [7], linezolid [2] Epidemiology: - more prevalent with advanced age Pathology: - disruption of desquamation with elongation of tongue filiform papillae, from 1 mm (normal) to >= 3 mm in length - benign condition, largely cosmetic Clinical manifestations: * images [3,5,7,8] Complications: - may stain with a variety of foods, i,e, coffee, tea, berries (black hairy tongue) - may serve as a substrate for bacterial or fungal growth, exacerbated by xerostomia Management: - oral hygiene with tongue brushing [2]

Related

benign migratory glossitis (geographic tongue) black tongue

General

sign/symptom tongue disease

References

  1. Geriatric Review Syllabus, 7th edition Parada JT et al (eds) American Geriatrics Society, 2010
  2. Medical Knowledge Self Assessment Program (MKSAP) 17, American College of Physicians, Philadelphia 2015
  3. Mayo Clinic (image, patient information) Black hairy tongue
  4. Nisa L, Giger R. Black hairy tongue. Am J Med. 2011 Sep;124(9):816-7. PMID: 21854889
  5. Stafford GL, James WD (images) Medscape: Hairy Tongue http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1075886-overview
  6. Gurvits GE, Tan A. Black hairy tongue syndrome. World J Gastroenterol. 2014 Aug 21;20(31):10845-50. Review. PMID: 25152586 Free PMC Article
  7. Hamad Y, Warren DK Black Hairy Tongue. N Engl J Med 2018; 379:e16. Sept 6, 2018 PMID: 30184449 https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMicm1800351
  8. Jayasree P, Kaliyadan F, Ashique KT Images in Dermatology. Black Hairy Tongue. JAMA Dermatol. 2022;158(5):573. PMID: 35262655 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamadermatology/fullarticle/2789440