Prevalence study of tongue lesions in a Hungarian population

The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of tongue lesions in a district population, in Budapest, called regularly for X-ray lung examinations. Oral examinations of 7820 individuals were performed, 42% were over 60 yr of age, 42.9% were men and 57.1% women. Tongue alterations were found in 18.52% of the examined individuals, more frequently in women than in men. Lingua fissurata has been diagnosed in 8.8%, geographic tongue in 3.0% of the examined subjects. Atrophic lesions of the tongue were found in 6.37%, among them 5.42% central papillary atrophy (median rhomboid glossitis): 0.35% of the total sample. Manifest clinical symptoms of oral Candidiasis were found in 2.15% of the total sample, and in 4.28% of patients with tongue lesions. The occurrence of oral leukoplakia and lichen in patients with tongue lesions was respectively 0.47 and 0.07%. The prevalence of tongue alterations was consistent with the literary data, the oral screening attached to the X-ray lung examinations proved to be useful in detecting changes of the oral mucosa.