Prevalence and Significance of Fissured Tongue among Dental Patients in Kabul

Afghanistan: A recent study conducted at the Ali-Abad University Hospital of Kabul University of Medical Sciences has shed light on the prevalence and significance of fissured tongue among dental patients in Kabul.

Fissured tongue is an asymptomatic condition characterized by grooves and fissures of varying depth on the dorsal surface of the tongue, which is usually diagnosed based on clinical appearance.

Fissures most Prevalent in Young Adult Females

The study involved 400 patients, out of which 142 cases were found to have fissured tongue.

The fissures were found to be least prevalent in the age group of > 10 – 19 years and most prevalent in the age group of 20 − 39 years, with females showing a higher prevalence of fissured tongue than males.

Results

Out of the 400 patients examined, 142 cases were diagnosed with fissured tongue, with a prevalence rate of 35.5%. Among these cases, 45 (31.7%) were male and 97 (68.3%) were female. The prevalence of fissured tongue was found to be least in the age group of 10-19 years (16.3%) and most prevalent in the age group of 20-39 years (51.8%), followed by the age groups of 40-59 years (24.8%) and 60 years and above (7.1%).

The most common pattern of fissures observed in patients was superficial, multiple, and not connected fissures, which accounted for 46.32% of cases. This was followed by superficial, multiple, and connected fissures, which accounted for 25.5% of cases.

The least prevalent type of fissured tongue was the single and deep type, which accounted for only 6.4% of cases.

More than half of the patients with fissured tongue in the study were asymptomatic (71.1% male, 51.6% female), while 17.9% reported dryness of the tongue, 14.3% reported soreness, 6.4% reported halitosis, 1.4% reported tongue swelling, and 2.1% reported all of these signs.

More than 50% Asymptomatic

More than half of the patients were asymptomatic, while others complained of tongue dryness, soreness, halitosis, tongue swelling, and a combination of these signs. The study found no definite etiology for fissured tongue, but a polygenic mode of inheritance is postulated.

The study aims to determine the most prevalent pattern of fissured tongue and assess the possible association between the occurrence of fissured tongue with age, gender, and systemic conditions. The diagnosis of fissured tongue is based on clinical examination, and biopsies are rarely taken.

The findings of this study provide valuable insights into the prevalence and significance of fissured tongue among dental patients in Kabul. Further research is needed to explore the causes and treatment of this condition.