Temporal arteritis presenting with tongue necrosis

Area of Science:

• Vascular Medicine
• Rheumatology
• Oral Medicine

Background:

• Spontaneous glossodynia is an uncommon condition.
• Glossodynia that progresses to lingual necrosis is exceptionally rare.
• Giant cell arteritis is the most frequent cause of lingual necrosis.

Observation:

• This case highlights a rare instance of isolated lingual necrosis.
• The patient presented with lingual necrosis as an initial clinical manifestation.
• Giant cell arteritis was diagnosed based on this presentation.

Findings:

• Lingual necrosis can be the sole presenting symptom of newly diagnosed giant cell arteritis.
• Few documented cases exist where isolated lingual necrosis led to a new diagnosis of giant cell arteritis.
• This underscores the importance of considering systemic vasculitis in cases of unexplained lingual necrosis.

Implications:

• Clinicians should consider giant cell arteritis in the differential diagnosis of isolated lingual necrosis.
• Early recognition of lingual necrosis as a potential sign of giant cell arteritis may improve patient outcomes.
• This case expands the understanding of the varied clinical presentations of giant cell arteritis.