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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Smooth, Red Patch On Tongue, No Pain

I have a smooth red patch on my tongue , which I notice about 1-2 weeks ago. It is on the right side, near the edge of the tongue. It sound not cause any pain. I have had a canker sore before but this is not like that. I have looked at geographic tongues but mine does not seem to have any outline, which seems characteristic of geographic tongues. I am 22 years old; weigh approx. 50kg; height is 164 cm. I do not suffer from any medical conditions. I have family history of diabetes and heart disease.
Sat, 13 Oct 2012
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Dentist,  's  Response
Hello and thank you for your question.
Any time you have a red lesion on the side of the tongue that persists longer than a few weeks it is important to have it evaluated in person by a dentist and possibly biopsied. Oral cancer can occur at any age and is very common on the side of the tongue. The tried and true method of identification is through biospy. Many lesions can appear flat, red and on the side of the tongue.

Highly unlikely that it is cancer at your age, but safe to rule out if it doesn't go away. Geographical tongue does have a border but not always apparent. It can also be lichen planus, trauma from an adjacent tooth, chemical burn from medication, new toothpaste, mouthrinse or spicy/citric foods.


I hope this helps you.

Best wishes, good health.

Dr. Ward
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Cardiologist,  Dr. Anantharamakrishnan's  Response
Dear Ms Shalini
> It is rather difficult to conclude from what you say...
> It will have nothing to do with family history and may not likely to be related to other conditions...
> As a rule - any lesion, anywhere for 2 weeks MUST be evaluated by a qualified doctor / especially so, if it stays in one place. Earlier, the better
Good luck
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Smooth, Red Patch On Tongue, No Pain

Hello and thank you for your question. Any time you have a red lesion on the side of the tongue that persists longer than a few weeks it is important to have it evaluated in person by a dentist and possibly biopsied. Oral cancer can occur at any age and is very common on the side of the tongue. The tried and true method of identification is through biospy. Many lesions can appear flat, red and on the side of the tongue. Highly unlikely that it is cancer at your age, but safe to rule out if it doesn t go away. Geographical tongue does have a border but not always apparent. It can also be lichen planus, trauma from an adjacent tooth, chemical burn from medication, new toothpaste, mouthrinse or spicy/citric foods. I hope this helps you. Best wishes, good health. Dr. Ward