Tongue Abnormalities - Median Rhomboid Glossitis

Creator: Dr. Pavithra
Keywords: Median Rhomboid Glossitis, condition, disorder, tongue, apparatus, organogenesis, fetus, tuberculum impar, Rhomboid Glossitis, fungal infection, Candida albicans, ovoid patch, esophagus, men, women, hormonal, MRG, doctors, anti-fungal agents

Author - - Dr. Pavithra, BDS

Medically Reviewed by - Dr. Krishanga, BDS

Last Updated on Nov 12, 2014

Median Rhomboid Glossitis

This condition is a classic developmental disorder of the tongue. It is a failure of the developmental apparatus during the organogenesis of the fetus. A structure called "tuberculum impar" is supposed to withdraw when the two halves of the tongue come close to each other during development.

When this does not happen, the structure gets trapped in between the two halves of the tongue, thereby creating an area, which looks like a bald patch on it. Median Rhomboid Glossitis has also been strongly linked with the fungal infection caused by Candida albicans, where the tongue has an ovoid patch just before the entry into the esophagus. Sometimes a flat-raised area can also be discerned. This condition is reportedly thrice as common in men as in women. The exact cause for this occurrence is not known, although hormonal links have been suggested.

There is no known treatment for MRG, though doctors have tried to administer anti-fungal agents with mixed results.

Published on Nov 12, 2014
Last Updated on Nov 12, 2014

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Comments

Tunji65

My daughter is just 4months old but i notice that from birth she is used to putting her tongue between her mouth.She is still doing it up till now.WHAT could be the cause and what can be done to correct it.

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siva_

my tongue has more black dots,is anything problem

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margot

i was looking up stuff for a friend and happened to notice that symptom. It was a thyroid condition, I think it was lingual thyroid.

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lou14

My 5 year old daughter appears to have another small tongue growing at the back of her throat. It is quite bizarre and i have never seen anything like it. It is right at the back and can only be seen when checking for a sore throat and opens her mouth very wide. Is it really a phenomenon as there is so little on the web.

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guest

Can I please ask if you ever had any outcome from this as my daughter has the same thing. We took her to the doctors toay and he also said he has never seen anything like it and has referred us to a specialist but it is driving me crazy

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guest

I have just noticed the same exact think on my son. He is about the same age, four-and-a-half. I was checking his throat when I noticed it; I have never noticed it before now, nor have I seen or heard of anything like this. Does anyone know what this is??

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guest

I recently asked the kids' doctor and she told me it was his epiglottis I was seeing. She told me most people can't stick their tongues out that far and that's why I hadn't noticed it before; nothing abnormal after all. Hope this helps some of you!

morussell1

I have had a swollen and white smooth tongue (occasionally sore) for about six months - any clues please?

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guest

hi, it may be a cause of a yeast infection, babies usually get this when they are born. If it's sore, and has been there for about 6 months, you may want to visit your doctor and get a blood test done. It could also be signs of HIV.

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