We describe a 40-year-old lady who presents with a painful white tongue on exposure to the cold. The differential diagnosis and investigations are outlined with a discussion about this unusual presentation of a common problem.LEARNING POINTS • Raynaud's can affect areas of the body besides the digits.• Lingual Raynaud's should be considered in patients with transient tongue pain.• Alternative diagnoses should be sought if ulceration or permanent symptoms develop. KEYWORDS Raynaud's, tongue CASE DESCRIPTION A 40-year-old woman presented with intermittent, 20 minute episodes of sequential painful white and blue tongue discoloration upon exposure to the cold. The peripheral rim of her tongue was relatively spared and on re-warming, the tongue became bright red associated with a burning sensation. The episodes caused moderately severe discomfort with dysarthria and stiffness at the back of the tongue as well as hypersalivation. The patient had a past history of vitamin B12 deficiency and was a smoker. There was no concurrent digital vasospasm of fingers or toes, lips or nipples. She did not have a past medical history of any connective tissue disease. Physical examination was normal but the tongue colour change is shown in Figure 1. Laboratory testing was negative for anti-nuclear antibody and rheumatoid factor. Other blood investigations demonstrated no abnormalities in biochemistry, haematology, ESR or clotting profile.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.