What causes atrophy of the tongue?

What causes atrophy of the tongue?

The tongue is continuously exposed to chemical, mechanical and physical stimuli that, when too strong or chronic, may cause atrophic lesions. Among these kind of aetiological factors are alcohol abuse, traumas and drug collateral effects.

What does atrophic glossitis mean?

Atrophic glossitis (AG) is characterized by the partial or complete absence of filiform papillae on the dorsal surface of the tongue.

What does it mean if you have atrophic glossitis?

Abnormal tongue conditions can look alarming. Atrophic glossitis is one of these conditions. Luckily, with a dental professional on your side, they can put your mind at ease and get your tongue back to its normal self. Glossitis is a general term referring to all conditions that cause inflammation of the tongue.

What does it mean when you have glossitis on your tongue?

Glossitis can mean soreness of the tongue, or more usually inflammation with depapillation of the dorsal surface of the tongue (loss of the lingual papillae ), leaving a smooth and erythematous (reddened) surface, (sometimes specifically termed atrophic glossitis ).

What causes diffuse glossitis and atrophy of lingual papillae?

Syphilis is now relatively rare, but the tertiary stage can cause diffuse glossitis and atrophy of lingual papillae, termed “syphilitic glossitis”, “luetic glossitis” or “atrophic glossitis of tertiary syphilis”. It is caused by Treponema pallidum and is a sexually transmitted infection .

How are the different types of glossitis different?

There are different types of glossitis, including: 1 Acute glossitis. This often develops suddenly and can have severe symptoms. 2 Chronic glossitis. Chronic inflammation of the tongue is often the result of an underlying condition. 3 Atrophic glossitis also called Hunter’s glossitis. 4 Median rhomboid glossitis.