Partial atrophic tongue other than median rhomboid glossitis

A group of 23 patients with partial atrophic change of the tongue was examined for candidiasis. All of them reported pain in the tongue on eating hot or spicy food. The intensity of the tongue pain was evaluated before and after treatment using a visual analogue scale. Of the 23 patients, 10 (43.5%) had predisposing factors for candidiasis such as diabetes mellitus and anaemia. In the culture examination, candidal species were isolated in 65.2%, all Candida albicans. Direct cytological examination performed in 10 of the 23 patients revealed fungal pseudohyphae in 8 patients. After antifungal treatment, tongue pain had disappeared or improved markedly in 82.6%. Simultaneously, the filiform papilla of the atrophic site was observed to have begun to regenerate in these patients. Candida infection should be suspected in patients with partial atrophic tongue associated with pain on eating.