Overview
What is hairy tongue (lingua villosa)?
What is the pathophysiology of hairy tongue (lingua villosa)?
What causes hairy tongue (lingua villosa)?
What is the prevalence of hairy tongue (lingua villosa)?
What are the racial predilections of hairy tongue (lingua villosa)?
What are the sexual predilections of hairy tongue (lingua villosa)?
Which age groups have the highest prevalence of hairy tongue (lingua villosa)?
What is the prognosis of hairy tongue (lingua villosa)?
What should be included in patient education about hairy tongue (lingua villosa)?
Presentation
Which clinical history findings are characteristic of hairy tongue (lingua villosa)?
Which physical findings are characteristic of hairy tongue (lingua villosa)?
What are the possible complications of hairy tongue (lingua villosa)?
DDX
What etiologic conditions should be considered in the diagnosis of hairy tongue (lingua villosa)?
What are the differential diagnoses for Hairy Tongue?
Workup
What is the role of lab tests in the diagnosis of hairy tongue (lingua villosa)?
What is the role of biopsy in the diagnosis of hairy tongue (lingua villosa)?
Which histologic findings are characteristic of hairy tongue (lingua villosa)?
Treatment
How is hairy tongue (lingua villosa) treated?
What is the role of oral hygiene in the treatment of hairy tongue (lingua villosa)?
What is the role of surgery in the treatment of hairy tongue (lingua villosa)?
Which specialist consultations are beneficial to patients with hairy tongue (lingua villosa)?
What is the role of dietary modifications in the treatment of hairy tongue (lingua villosa)?
What is included in long-term monitoring of hairy tongue (lingua villosa)?
Medications
What is the role of medications in the treatment of hairy tongue (lingua villosa)?
Which medications in the drug class Antifungal agents are used in the treatment of Hairy Tongue?
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Brown hairy tongue in a middle-aged woman who drinks coffee. Note how the condition is limited to the mid-dorsal part of the tongue, becoming more prominent toward the posterior part.
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Brown hairy tongue in a middle-aged man who smokes cigarettes. The condition is limited to the posterior two thirds of the dorsal surface of the tongue.
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Close-up view of brown hairy tongue in a middle-aged man who smokes cigarettes. The condition is limited to the posterior two thirds of the dorsal surface of the tongue.
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This patient is a middle-aged woman who drank coffee and smoked cigarettes for many years. Her chief complaint was a tickling sensation in the oral pharynx during swallowing. The slight greenish cast to her tongue was due to the use of a mouthwash immediately prior to her appointment.
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This male geriatric patient had smoked a pipe for many years. He was unaware of the presence of his hairy tongue until it was brought to his attention during a routine dental examination.
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Male geriatric patient had smoked a pipe for many years. He was unaware of the presence of his hairy tongue until it was brought to his attention during a routine dental examination. Photo 1 month following his initial examination. While he has not decreased his pipe smoking, he has gently brushed the dorsal surface of his tongue when he brushes his teeth during the intervening 4 weeks. The hairy tongue has completely resolved.
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Middle-aged woman with a hairy tongue that is brown.
