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Credit: These cases were adapted from Usatine R, Smith M, Mayeaux EJ, et al, eds. Color Atlas of Family Medicine. 2nd ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2013. You can now get the second edition of the Color Atlas of Family Medicine as an app for mobile devices by clicking this link: usatinemedia.com.
1. A painless white, thick lesion with fissuring had been on the side of this 57-year-old man’s tongue for the past 7 months. The patient drinks two to three beers in the evening and smokes one pack of cigarettes a day.
Diagnosis: This patient was given a diagnosis of leukoplakia and the biopsy indicated that the lesion was premalignant. The World Health Organization defines leukoplakia as “white plaques of questionable risk” in cases where other known diseases that don’t carry an increased risk for cancer have been excluded. For all types of leukoplakia, the risk of malignant transformation is approximately 1%, with a much higher risk associated with leukoplakias that contain red spots and/or rough spots.
For more information, read “White patch on tongue.” J Fam Pract. 2014.
For the next photograph, proceed to the next page >>
2. This nonhealing painful lesion on the side of her tongue had increased in size recently, and the patient, a 56-year-old homeless woman, was worried because her dad had died from oral cancer. She had smoked since she was 11 and acknowledged being a heavy drinker.
Diagnosis: A punch biopsy revealed that the patient had a squamous cell carcinoma. Fully two-thirds of oropharyngeal cancers (OPCs) will present with advanced disease at the time of diagnosis. Ninety percent of OPCs are of the squamous cell type. Reports in the literature suggest that clinicians may be missing early disease by not conducting thorough soft-tissue examinations on a routine basis. However, the fact that more than 35% of patients do not see a dentist on a routine basis likely contributes to the diagnostic delay. The 5-year survival rate for OPC is 62% for whites and 42% for blacks.
Tobacco use is the major risk factor for OPC and is implicated in approximately 75% of cases. Alcohol use is also a major risk factor. The combined use of tobacco and alcohol increases the risk of OPC far more than either alone. Human papillomavirus (especially HPV 16) is a newly recognized major risk factor for carcinomas affecting the lingual and palatine tonsils.
For more information, read “Lesion on side of tongue.” J Fam Pract. 2014.
For the next photograph, proceed to the next page >>
3. A 58-year-old man sought care for painful sores that had been in his mouth, on and off, for a year. The ulcers erupted on his tongue, gums, buccal mucosa, and inner lips, making it painful to eat. The patient was not taking any medications.
Diagnosis: The clinician recognized his condition as recurrent aphthous ulcers with giant ulcers. Aphthous ulcers are painful ulcerations in the mouth, which can be single, multiple, occasional, or recurrent. These ulcers can be small or large but are uniformly painful and may interfere with eating, speaking, and swallowing.
For more information, read “Lesions on tongue.” J Fam Pract. 2014.
For the next photograph, proceed to the next page >>
4. A 60-year-old man, smelling of alcohol and tobacco, complained of a black discoloration of his tongue and occasional gagging sensation. He smoked one to 2 packs of cigarettes and drank 6 to 8 beers daily. On physical exam, his teeth were stained and his tongue shows elongated papillae with brown discoloration.
Diagnosis: This patient had a black hairy tongue (BHT), poor oral hygiene, and tobacco and alcohol addiction. BHT is a benign disorder of the tongue characterized by abnormally hypertrophied and elongated filiform papillae on the surface of the tongue. In addition, there is defective desquamation of the papillae on the dorsal tongue, resulting in a hair-like appearance. These papillae, which are normally about 1 mm in length, may become as long as 12 mm. The elongated filiform papillae can then collect debris, bacteria, fungus, or other foreign materials.
For more information, read “Discoloration of the tongue.” J Fam Pract. 2014.
For the next photograph, proceed to the next page >>
5. A 5-year-old girl had a temperature of 102.4°F, a sore throat, and a red tongue with prominent papillae. The posterior pharynx was also erythematous with slight exudate visible. The anterior cervical lymph nodes were mildly tender and somewhat enlarged, and no rashes were noted.
Diagnosis: The child had a strawberry tongue and scarlet fever caused by strep pharyngitis. The tongue had prominent papillae along with erythema, making it resemble a strawberry. Strawberry tongue is most commonly seen in children with scarlet fever or Kawasaki disease. Strawberry tongue usually develops within the first 2 to 3 days of illness. A white or yellowish coating usually precedes the classic red tongue with white papillae.
For more information, read “Papillae on tongue.” J Fam Pract. 2014.
Credit: These cases were adapted from Usatine R, Smith M, Mayeaux EJ, et al, eds. Color Atlas of Family Medicine. 2nd ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2013. You can now get the second edition of the Color Atlas of Family Medicine as an app for mobile devices by clicking this link: usatinemedia.com.
1. A painless white, thick lesion with fissuring had been on the side of this 57-year-old man’s tongue for the past 7 months. The patient drinks two to three beers in the evening and smokes one pack of cigarettes a day.
Diagnosis: This patient was given a diagnosis of leukoplakia and the biopsy indicated that the lesion was premalignant. The World Health Organization defines leukoplakia as “white plaques of questionable risk” in cases where other known diseases that don’t carry an increased risk for cancer have been excluded. For all types of leukoplakia, the risk of malignant transformation is approximately 1%, with a much higher risk associated with leukoplakias that contain red spots and/or rough spots.
For more information, read “White patch on tongue.” J Fam Pract. 2014.
For the next photograph, proceed to the next page >>
2. This nonhealing painful lesion on the side of her tongue had increased in size recently, and the patient, a 56-year-old homeless woman, was worried because her dad had died from oral cancer. She had smoked since she was 11 and acknowledged being a heavy drinker.
Diagnosis: A punch biopsy revealed that the patient had a squamous cell carcinoma. Fully two-thirds of oropharyngeal cancers (OPCs) will present with advanced disease at the time of diagnosis. Ninety percent of OPCs are of the squamous cell type. Reports in the literature suggest that clinicians may be missing early disease by not conducting thorough soft-tissue examinations on a routine basis. However, the fact that more than 35% of patients do not see a dentist on a routine basis likely contributes to the diagnostic delay. The 5-year survival rate for OPC is 62% for whites and 42% for blacks.
Tobacco use is the major risk factor for OPC and is implicated in approximately 75% of cases. Alcohol use is also a major risk factor. The combined use of tobacco and alcohol increases the risk of OPC far more than either alone. Human papillomavirus (especially HPV 16) is a newly recognized major risk factor for carcinomas affecting the lingual and palatine tonsils.
For more information, read “Lesion on side of tongue.” J Fam Pract. 2014.
For the next photograph, proceed to the next page >>
3. A 58-year-old man sought care for painful sores that had been in his mouth, on and off, for a year. The ulcers erupted on his tongue, gums, buccal mucosa, and inner lips, making it painful to eat. The patient was not taking any medications.
Diagnosis: The clinician recognized his condition as recurrent aphthous ulcers with giant ulcers. Aphthous ulcers are painful ulcerations in the mouth, which can be single, multiple, occasional, or recurrent. These ulcers can be small or large but are uniformly painful and may interfere with eating, speaking, and swallowing.
For more information, read “Lesions on tongue.” J Fam Pract. 2014.
For the next photograph, proceed to the next page >>
4. A 60-year-old man, smelling of alcohol and tobacco, complained of a black discoloration of his tongue and occasional gagging sensation. He smoked one to 2 packs of cigarettes and drank 6 to 8 beers daily. On physical exam, his teeth were stained and his tongue shows elongated papillae with brown discoloration.
Diagnosis: This patient had a black hairy tongue (BHT), poor oral hygiene, and tobacco and alcohol addiction. BHT is a benign disorder of the tongue characterized by abnormally hypertrophied and elongated filiform papillae on the surface of the tongue. In addition, there is defective desquamation of the papillae on the dorsal tongue, resulting in a hair-like appearance. These papillae, which are normally about 1 mm in length, may become as long as 12 mm. The elongated filiform papillae can then collect debris, bacteria, fungus, or other foreign materials.
For more information, read “Discoloration of the tongue.” J Fam Pract. 2014.
For the next photograph, proceed to the next page >>
5. A 5-year-old girl had a temperature of 102.4°F, a sore throat, and a red tongue with prominent papillae. The posterior pharynx was also erythematous with slight exudate visible. The anterior cervical lymph nodes were mildly tender and somewhat enlarged, and no rashes were noted.
Diagnosis: The child had a strawberry tongue and scarlet fever caused by strep pharyngitis. The tongue had prominent papillae along with erythema, making it resemble a strawberry. Strawberry tongue is most commonly seen in children with scarlet fever or Kawasaki disease. Strawberry tongue usually develops within the first 2 to 3 days of illness. A white or yellowish coating usually precedes the classic red tongue with white papillae.
For more information, read “Papillae on tongue.” J Fam Pract. 2014.
Credit: These cases were adapted from Usatine R, Smith M, Mayeaux EJ, et al, eds. Color Atlas of Family Medicine. 2nd ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2013. You can now get the second edition of the Color Atlas of Family Medicine as an app for mobile devices by clicking this link: usatinemedia.com.
1. A painless white, thick lesion with fissuring had been on the side of this 57-year-old man’s tongue for the past 7 months. The patient drinks two to three beers in the evening and smokes one pack of cigarettes a day.
Diagnosis: This patient was given a diagnosis of leukoplakia and the biopsy indicated that the lesion was premalignant. The World Health Organization defines leukoplakia as “white plaques of questionable risk” in cases where other known diseases that don’t carry an increased risk for cancer have been excluded. For all types of leukoplakia, the risk of malignant transformation is approximately 1%, with a much higher risk associated with leukoplakias that contain red spots and/or rough spots.
For more information, read “White patch on tongue.” J Fam Pract. 2014.
For the next photograph, proceed to the next page >>
2. This nonhealing painful lesion on the side of her tongue had increased in size recently, and the patient, a 56-year-old homeless woman, was worried because her dad had died from oral cancer. She had smoked since she was 11 and acknowledged being a heavy drinker.
Diagnosis: A punch biopsy revealed that the patient had a squamous cell carcinoma. Fully two-thirds of oropharyngeal cancers (OPCs) will present with advanced disease at the time of diagnosis. Ninety percent of OPCs are of the squamous cell type. Reports in the literature suggest that clinicians may be missing early disease by not conducting thorough soft-tissue examinations on a routine basis. However, the fact that more than 35% of patients do not see a dentist on a routine basis likely contributes to the diagnostic delay. The 5-year survival rate for OPC is 62% for whites and 42% for blacks.
Tobacco use is the major risk factor for OPC and is implicated in approximately 75% of cases. Alcohol use is also a major risk factor. The combined use of tobacco and alcohol increases the risk of OPC far more than either alone. Human papillomavirus (especially HPV 16) is a newly recognized major risk factor for carcinomas affecting the lingual and palatine tonsils.
For more information, read “Lesion on side of tongue.” J Fam Pract. 2014.
For the next photograph, proceed to the next page >>
3. A 58-year-old man sought care for painful sores that had been in his mouth, on and off, for a year. The ulcers erupted on his tongue, gums, buccal mucosa, and inner lips, making it painful to eat. The patient was not taking any medications.
Diagnosis: The clinician recognized his condition as recurrent aphthous ulcers with giant ulcers. Aphthous ulcers are painful ulcerations in the mouth, which can be single, multiple, occasional, or recurrent. These ulcers can be small or large but are uniformly painful and may interfere with eating, speaking, and swallowing.
For more information, read “Lesions on tongue.” J Fam Pract. 2014.
For the next photograph, proceed to the next page >>
4. A 60-year-old man, smelling of alcohol and tobacco, complained of a black discoloration of his tongue and occasional gagging sensation. He smoked one to 2 packs of cigarettes and drank 6 to 8 beers daily. On physical exam, his teeth were stained and his tongue shows elongated papillae with brown discoloration.
Diagnosis: This patient had a black hairy tongue (BHT), poor oral hygiene, and tobacco and alcohol addiction. BHT is a benign disorder of the tongue characterized by abnormally hypertrophied and elongated filiform papillae on the surface of the tongue. In addition, there is defective desquamation of the papillae on the dorsal tongue, resulting in a hair-like appearance. These papillae, which are normally about 1 mm in length, may become as long as 12 mm. The elongated filiform papillae can then collect debris, bacteria, fungus, or other foreign materials.
For more information, read “Discoloration of the tongue.” J Fam Pract. 2014.
For the next photograph, proceed to the next page >>
5. A 5-year-old girl had a temperature of 102.4°F, a sore throat, and a red tongue with prominent papillae. The posterior pharynx was also erythematous with slight exudate visible. The anterior cervical lymph nodes were mildly tender and somewhat enlarged, and no rashes were noted.
Diagnosis: The child had a strawberry tongue and scarlet fever caused by strep pharyngitis. The tongue had prominent papillae along with erythema, making it resemble a strawberry. Strawberry tongue is most commonly seen in children with scarlet fever or Kawasaki disease. Strawberry tongue usually develops within the first 2 to 3 days of illness. A white or yellowish coating usually precedes the classic red tongue with white papillae.
For more information, read “Papillae on tongue.” J Fam Pract. 2014.