Diseases of the tongue: a review of etiologies and treatments

Abstract Objective Tongue diseases are highly diverse and difficult to differentiate due to their varied etiologies. This clinical review summarizes various tongue diseases based on clinical experience and proposes appropriate treatment strategies, emphasizing the tongue’s multifunctional role and its impact on quality of life. Subjects and methods This clinical review analyzes a broad spectrum of tongue diseases encountered in clinical practice. Lesions were categorized according to etiology, including infectious, inflammatory, benign and malignant neoplastic, precancerous, congenital, autoimmune, and systemic disease–related manifestations. Relevant literature was reviewed in conjunction with the authors’ clinical experience. Results A total of 36 tongue diseases were classified, and the characteristic clinical features and treatment approaches for each condition were presented. Conclusion In this clinical review, various tongue diseases are reviewed and treatments were suggested.