| bald tongue | An erythematous, edematous, and painful tongue which appears smooth due to loss of the filiform and sometimes the fungiform papillae secondary to certain nutritional deficiencies, especially B-vitamin deficencies, as seen in pellagra, thiamin deficiency, and disorders such as pernicious anaemia (Hunter's or Moeller's glossitis). Synonym: bald tongue. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| base of tongue | The posterior attached portion of the tongue. Synonym: radix linguae, base of tongue. (05 Mar 2000) |
| beet-tongue | Sometimes used of the tongue in pellagra, where intense erythema appears, first at the tip, then along the edges, and finally over the dorsum; there may be pain and increased elevation; the shiny appearance results from oedema, not atrophy, except in chronic pellagra. (05 Mar 2000) |
| bifid tongue | A structural defect of the tongue in which the extremity is divided longitudinally for a greater or lesser distance. See: diglossia. Synonym: cleft tongue. (05 Mar 2000) |
| bird's-tongue | <botany> The knotgrass (Polygonum aviculare). Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| black tongue | In canines, a disorder associated with a deficency of nicotinic acid. Black to yellowish brown discoloration of the dorsum of the tongue due to staining by exogenous material such as the components of tobacco; usually superimposed on hairy tongue. Synonym: lingua nigra, melanoglossia, nigrities linguae. (05 Mar 2000) |
| black-tongue disease | A disease of dogs similar to human pellagra and due to niacin deficiency. (05 Mar 2000) |
| blind foramen of the tongue | <anatomy> A median pit on the dorsum of the posterior part of the tongue, from which the limbs of a V-shaped furrow run forward and outward; it is the site of origin of the thyroid gland and subsequent thyroglossal duct in the embryo. Synonym: foramen caecum linguae, blind foramen of the tongue, caecal foramen of the tongue, Morgagni's foramen, pleuroperitoneal foramen. (05 Mar 2000) |
| body of tongue | The oral part of the tongue anterior to the terminal sulcus. Synonym: corpus linguae. (05 Mar 2000) |
| caecal foramen of the tongue | <anatomy> A median pit on the dorsum of the posterior part of the tongue, from which the limbs of a V-shaped furrow run forward and outward; it is the site of origin of the thyroid gland and subsequent thyroglossal duct in the embryo. Synonym: foramen caecum linguae, blind foramen of the tongue, caecal foramen of the tongue, Morgagni's foramen, pleuroperitoneal foramen. (05 Mar 2000) |
| magenta tongue | Purplish red colouration of the tongue, with oedema and flattening of the filiform papillae, occurring in riboflavin deficiency. Compare: cyanosis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| mandibular tongue | A pointed tongue of bone overlapping the mandibular foramen, giving attachment to the sphenomandibular ligament. Synonym: lingula mandibulae, mandibular tongue, Spix's spine. (05 Mar 2000) |
| raspberry tongue | Strawberry tongue that is a dark red colour. (05 Mar 2000) |
| margin of the tongue | The lateral border that separates the dorsum from the inferior surface of the tongue on each side, the two borders meeting anteriorly at the apex. Synonym: margo linguae. (05 Mar 2000) |
| geographic tongue | <clinical sign> A benign condition where there is a map-like appearance to the tongue resulting from irregular denuded patches in the surface (loss of tongue papillae). Likely secondary to local irritation from hot or spicy foods, alcohol or tobacco. There are no significant complications. (27 Sep 1997) |