Riga-Fede-like disease in a 70 year old woman

Riga-Fede disease (RFD) describes a benign, ulcerative lesion resulting from the repetitive trauma of contact of the oral mucosal surface of the tongue with the teeth. Although the name applies primarily to small children, similar clinical and histopathological findings can also be found in adults. We describe here a 70 year-old woman showing a painful tongue ulcer with elevated borders and whitish discoloration for the past four years. Repeated histological investigations revealed a benign leukoplakia without dysplasia. Replacement of an ill-fitting prosthesis led to complete remission within two weeks. RDF-like disease is thus a problem in elderly patients for whom topical treatment is insufficient to induce healing.