Fissured tongue is a benign

Benign

A benign tumor is a tumor that lacks the ability to metastasize. Common examples of benign tumors include moles and uterine fibroids.The term "benign" implies a mild and nonprogressive disease. Indeed, many kinds of benign tumors are harmless to human health...

 condition characterized by deep grooves (fissure

Fissure

In anatomy, a fissure is a groove, natural division, deep furrow, elongated cleft, or tear in various parts of the body.-Brain:...

s) in the dorsum

Dorsum

Dorsum is a Latin word. In science, it could mean:* Dorsum , the posterior side of an animal* Dorsum , a term used in astrogeology for a ridge* Theta Capricorni, a star on the back of the Goat...

 of the tongue

Tongue

The tongue is a muscular hydrostat on the floors of the mouths of most vertebrates which manipulates food for mastication. It is the primary organ of taste , as much of the upper surface of the tongue is covered in papillae and taste buds. It is sensitive and kept moist by saliva, and is richly...

. Although these grooves may look unsettling, the condition is painless and individuals experience no physical discomfort.

Fissured tongue is seen in Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome

Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome

Melkersson–Rosenthal syndrome is a rare neurological disorder characterized by recurring facial paralysis, swelling of the face and lips , and the development of folds and furrows in the tongue. Onset is in childhood or early adolescence...

, in most patients with Down syndrome

Down syndrome

Down syndrome, or Down's syndrome, trisomy 21, is a chromosomal condition caused by the presence of all or part of an extra 21st chromosome. It is named after John Langdon Down, the British physician who described the syndrome in 1866. The condition was clinically described earlier in the 19th...

, in association with geographic tongue

Geographic tongue

Geographic tongue, an inflammatory condition of the tongue affecting approximately 2% of the population, is characterized by discolored regions of taste buds or sometimes even cracks in the tongue...

, and in healthy, normal individuals.

External links

• Marquette University School of Dentistry - Images of a fissured tongue