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Tongue Diagnosis in Psoriasis Patients
Blog January 19, 2025

Tongue Diagnosis in Psoriasis Patients

Dr. Yeonseung Choe
Dr. Yeonseung Choe
Chief Director

Geographic tongue (GT) and Fissured tongue (FT) are notable in their relation to skin diseases. Some studies suggest that GT can progress to FT.

Järvinen, J., Mikkonen, J. J. W., & Kullaa, A. M. (2014). Fissured tongue: A sign of tongue edema? Medical Hypotheses, 82(6), 709–712. doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2014.03.010

Association of Geographic Tongue and Fissured Tongue

Geographic tongue and fissured tongue frequently co-occur. In the case of geographic tongue, associations with burning mouth syndrome (BMS), psoriasis, allergies, atopy, diabetes, hypertension, smoking, stress, hormones, and genetic and microbial factors have been studied.

Psoriasis and Geographic Tongue

Geographic tongue or fissured tongue do not always appear in psoriasis patients, and this can be interpreted as a manifestation of chronic mucosal inflammation caused by intraoral psoriasis.

Picciani, B. L. S., et al. (2015). Geographic Tongue and Fissured Tongue in 348 Patients with Psoriasis: Correlation with Disease Severity. The Scientific World Journal, 2015, 1–7. doi:10.1155/2015/564326

Statistically, geographic tongue and fissured tongue were significantly observed in psoriasis patients. Rather than the time of disease onset, the duration of the condition or medication history may influence the tongue's status.

Facial Psoriasis and Tongue Condition

Facial psoriasis can indicate the severity of systemic symptoms, and geographic tongue and fissured tongue are also frequently observed in cases with facial psoriasis.

Young Park, J., et al. (2004). Facial psoriasis: comparison of patients with and without facial involvement. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 50(4), 582–584. doi:10.1016/s0190-9622(03)02793-2

Conclusion

  1. Geographic tongue and fissured tongue are likely to be observed on the tongue of psoriasis patients.
  2. Psoriatic involvement of the face and scalp may also be observed.
  3. These conditions may indicate the severity of psoriasis symptoms.

The condition of the tongue in dermatological diseases can provide insight into the patient's status and prognosis.


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Dr. Yeonseung Choe

Dr. Yeonseung Choe Chief Director

I have met many patients who came after visiting multiple medical institutions and departments for persistent or recurrent conditions. Symptoms normally handled by different specialties—such as abdominal pain, headaches, palpitations, dizziness, and insomnia—may overlap in one person. Sometimes there is no clear improvement despite taking medication for each symptom, and being unwell gradually becomes part of daily life. In these cases, I look beyond individual diagnoses and examine how the symptoms connect and change together. Asking only about the most uncomfortable symptom today does not reveal the full course. I look at when the body first began to change and what happened after illness, surgery, childbirth, or starting and stopping medication. I also review changes in weight, diet, and sleep, then trace which symptoms improved with previous treatment and which remained. Test results, diagnoses, and the course of previous treatment are important for understanding the current condition. Clinical research in modern Korean medicine, physiological and pathological research in modern medicine, and observations recorded in classical Korean medicine texts offer different perspectives on the same body. Rather than fitting a patient into one perspective, I consider what each can and cannot explain and look for clues that connect symptoms and treatment histories that were previously considered separately.

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