• lingua villosa in a patient with cancer: a case report

What are the signs and symptoms of lingua villosa nigra (LV)?

The lesion is extremely rare among newborns and infants. Lingua villosa nigra is characterized by the presence of elongated filiform papillae of the dorsum of the tongue, which gives a hairy appearance.

What is the incidence of squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue?

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the tongue is the most frequent intra oral head and neck cancer. European statistics indicate an incidence of around 10–20 per 100 000 of the population. In Western Europe a decrease has been seen in males, contrary to the increase in female subjects that has been evident over the last decade.

What is the morbidity of tongue cancer in young patients?

The morbidity of malignant tumors in young patients is low (only approximately 2 percent of patients diagnosed with tongue cancer are below the age of 35). This was the case of this patient who suffered from an acute myeloid leukemia before she turned two.

Highlights

Lingua villosa nigra (LVN), also called black hairy tongue, is a benign disorder.

Abstract

Lingua villosa nigra (LVN), also called black hairy tongue, is a common benign condition with many known predisposing factors. When LVN shows no or modest improvement after conservative treatment, additional examinations should be performed to identify the underlying cause.

1. Introduction

Lingua villosa nigra (LVN), also called black hairy tongue, is a benign disorder that was first described by Amatus Lusitanus in 1557 [ 1 ]. In LVN, the tongue appears hairy due to hypertrophy and elongation of the filiform papillae on the dorsum.

2. Case details

A 75-year-old female patient presented at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery with complaints of a black discoloration of the tongue and accompanying halitosis, which had been present for several years.

3. Discussion

Clinically, a hairy tongue is characterized by a variety of possible discolorations (yellowish-white, brown, or black), depending on the cause. The brown or black pigmentation of LVN is thought to be caused by the production of porphyrins by chromogenic bacteria or yeast trapped in the filiform papillae [ 11 ].

4. Conclusions

To our knowledge, this is the first case report to describe an association between lingua villosa nigra and a Zenker's diverticulum. When conservative treatments for LVN are ineffective, the patient's underlying conditions must be further examined.

Acknowledgments

There are no conflicts of interest and no financial interests to be disclosed.

What medications cause hairy tongue?

A range of medications have been linked to hairy tongue including penicillin, erythromycin, tetracycline, doxycycline, lansoprazole, olanzapine, bismuth [1], erlotinib [2], linezolid [3].

What is a hairy tongue?

Hairy tongue is an unusual, harmless condition characterised by a 'hairy' enlargement and discolouration of the filiform papillae. The filiform papillae are tiny conical bumps found on the surface of the front two-thirds of the tongue that do not carry taste buds.