tongue Issues- please help

[andy75]

Dear Dr,    

I have a tongue concern that I wanted to discuss with you. For the last 10-12 days, I seem to have developed 2 parallel 1/2 inch long cut/groove/fissure near the tip of my tongue which are not healing. I dont have any other issues or problem in my mouth (no canker sores) or body symptoms such as fever or anything like that. I am also not taking any antibiotics or use any denture etc. The only thing that I can thing of if eating some spicy food a few days before the cuts developed. What is also strange is that the cuts dont pain, though there is a tingling like sensation. However, it has not affected my eating or speaking abilities. I was wondering if you can suggest what could be possible cause. Finally, if I really extend my tongue, I see a very mild white caoting in the middle that is difficult to scape off. Is this something really worrisome or suggestive or anyting serious?

[Michael H Kirsch, DDS]

The grooves in your tongue may represent fissures which are a variant of normal.  If you traumatized your tongue (foods can often do this), it should heal within 2 weeks.  The coating on your tongue may represent oral candidasis which is a fungal infection.  Not knowing your medical history or medications I am just "guessing."

There is no way to know for certain without being examined personally.  I suggest you see an oral surgeon or dentist.

It is impossible to make this type of diagnosis without seeing the areas directly.

nformation contained within this reply is intended solely for general educational purposes and is not intended nor implied to be a medical diagnosis or treatment recommendation.  This is not a substitute for professional medical advice relative to your specific medical condition or question. Always seek the advice of your own doctor for medical condition. Only your doctor can provide specific diagnoses and therapies.

[andy75]

Dear Dr.

Thanks a lot for responding. Myconcern is that I never had fissures and this is the first time I have developed ones this bad. Its very slightly better after about 2 weeks but no where close to big haled up.

As far as the white coating, I wanted to clarify that there is only one white coated spot towards the back  the tongue. I tried to scape it off, but it was difficult to remove it. Is Thrush coating easy to come off?

Finally, does thrush cause fissures on the tongue? Is there a correlation?  

[andy75]

Also, can this be Geographic tongue? What are the symptoms for that?

[andy75]

Dear Dr,

Went to the dentist today and he could not detect anything particular ( no thrush or anything else). he referred me to an oral pathologist and will see him sometime next week.

came back home and started surfing the net. came across something called the herpetic geometric glossitis which is found in HIV patients. wondering if this disease shows up as an ealry sign in HIV or in advanced stage of disease. Also what are the symptoms of it? Some of the symptoms seem very familiar to my problem except that I dont have any pain.

[andy75]

hi,

i went to the oral surgeon today and his observation was that i have developed a fissured tongue even though i had no history or past observations of it. he examined my mouth and tongue and found nothing else. i also asked him about association of fissured tongue with HIV especially in early stage of the disesae. he said that in absence of other symptoms especially pain in fissures it is hard to see that association and he had not seen any such case in his life. i asked him if there was anything that i could do to heal the fissures and he said that its possible that they may never heal and there is nothing he would advise me to do.

i am a little surpised with his conclusion and wondering if you agree. do you think its possible that i never had any signs of fissure tongue and all of a sudden (with a coincidence that when i am going through the HIV scare) for the fissure tongue to appear? Is that possible?

[Michael H Kirsch, DDS]

If you think you may be at risk for HIV or any other infectious disease you should get yourself tested.

[andy75]

however is fissured tongue an early manifestation of symptom in HIV cases. My exposure was less than 3 months ago.