| Black hairy tongue | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Lingua villosa nigra[1][2] or Melanoglossia.[3] |
 | |
| A patient displaying characteristic dark bumps of black hairy tongue | |
| Specialty | Dermatology |
| Risk factors | Smoking, poor oral hygiene, soft diet |
| Diagnostic method | Based on clinical appearance |
| Differential diagnosis | Hairy leukoplakia |
| Treatment | Reassurance |
Black hairy tongue syndrome (BHT[4]) is a condition of the tongue in which the small bumps on the tongue elongate with black or brown discoloration, giving a black and hairy appearance. The appearance may be alarming, but it is a harmless condition. Predisposing factors include smoking, xerostomia (dry mouth), soft diet, poor oral hygiene and certain medications. Management is facilitated by improving oral hygiene, especially scraping or brushing the tongue.[5]
- ^ Rajendran, R.; Sivapathasundharam, B., eds. (2009). "Developmental Disturbances of Oral and Paraoral Structures". Shafer's Textbook Of Oral Pathology (6th ed.). Elsevier India. p. 31. ISBN 978-81-312-1570-8. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
- ^ Waggoner, W. C.; Volpe, A. R. (January 1967). "Lingua Villosa Nigra--A Review of Black Hairy Tongue". Journal of Oral Medicine. 22 (1): 18–21. PMID 5340144.
- ^ "Melanoglossia". The Lancet. 197 (5096): 922. 30 April 1921. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(00)55600-1.
- ^ Gurvits, Grigoriy E (2014). "Black hairy tongue syndrome". World Journal of Gastroenterology. 20 (31): 10845–10850. doi:10.3748/wjg.v20.i31.10845. PMC 4138463. PMID 25152586.
- ^ Sarti, G. M.; Haddy, R. I.; Schaffer, D.; Kihm, J. (June 1990). "Black Hairy Tongue". American Family Physician. 41 (6): 1751–5. PMID 2190456.