Pathology · single question
A patient has deep grooves and furrows on the dorsum of the tongue. The lesion is asymptomatic and needs no treatment. Diagnosis?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Fissured tongue
- A. Correct. Fissured tongue is a benign developmental variant of deep dorsal grooves; only hygiene of the fissures is advised.
- B. Incorrect. Hairy leukoplakia is a white corrugated plaque on the lateral tongue (EBV, often HIV-associated).
- C. Incorrect. Median rhomboid glossitis is a smooth, depapillated erythematous rhomboid area at the midline dorsum.
- D. Incorrect. Geographic tongue shows migrating red patches with white serpiginous borders, not fixed deep grooves.