Median rhomboid glossitis: not a misnomer. Review of the literature and histologic study of twenty-eight cases

Median Rhomboid Glossitis: A Case Study

A smooth, red, oval, or rhomboid patch on the dorsal midline is the classic presentation of median rhomboid glossitis (MRG), a rare and benign lesion of the tongue. MRG is still not fully understood, which presents diagnostic hurdles and calls for additional clinical investigation. It is frequently associated with candidal infections. We describe a case of a 42-year-old man who initially appeared to have either mechanical irritation or thermal injury related to a painless patch on the dorsum surface of the tongue. We document a case of MRG that was consulted for a standard dental examination in this case report. This article also highlights a dentist's need to identify the lesion and provide appropriate education for the patient.

Infections in Inborn Errors of Immunity with Combined Immune Deficiency: A Review

Enhanced susceptibility to microbes, often resulting in severe, intractable and frequent infections due to usually innocuous organisms at uncommon sites, is the most striking feature in individuals with an inborn error of immunity. In this narrative review, based on the International Union of Immunological Societies' 2022 (IUIS 2022) Update on phenotypic classification of human inborn errors of immunity, the focus is on commonly encountered Combined Immunodeficiency Disorders (CIDs) with susceptibility to infections. Combined immune deficiency disorders are usually commensurate with survival beyond infancy unlike Severe Combined Immune Deficiency (SCID) and are often associated with clinical features of a syndromic nature. Defective humoral and cellular immune responses result in susceptibility to a broad range of microbial infections. Although disease onset is usually in early childhood, mild defects may present in late childhood or even in adulthood. A precise diagnosis is imperative not only for determining management strategies, but also for providing accurate genetic counseling, including prenatal diagnosis, and also in deciding empiric treatment of infections upfront before investigation reports are available.

Epidemiology and Prevalence of Oral Candidiasis in HIV Patients From Chad in the Post-HAART Era

Oral candidiasis remains a common problem in HIV-infected individuals, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Here, we performed the first study in Chad on the prevalence of oral yeasts carriage and oral candidiasis in HIV-positive subjects from southern Chad and analyzed the influence of HAART, CD4⁺ T-cell numbers, and antimycotics in 589 patients. These patients were recruited from a specialized medical center for HIV patients in Sarh and from a rural medical health dispensary in the vicinity, including a total of 384 HIV-positive and 205 HIV-negative individuals. Yeasts obtained from oral specimen were identified by MALDI-TOF MS and their antifungal susceptibility profiles determined. The overall prevalence of yeast colonization and symptomatic oral candidiasis in HIV-infected patients was 25.1%. The prevalence of oral candidiasis was higher in untreated than in HAART-treated HIV-positive patients (16% vs. 2%; p < 0.01). Oral candidiasis was furthermore associated with high fungal burdens of Candida albicans and a CD4⁺ T-cell number <200/μl. A shift toward non-albicans Candida species was observed under nucleoside-based HAART therapy. Azole antifungal drug resistance was only observed for the intrinsically resistant species Candida krusei and Candida glabrata. Prevalence of oral candidiasis in the studied area was very low. The species distribution was similar to other countries around the world, with C. albicans being dominant. Candida dubliniensis was not isolated. Nucleoside-based HAART therapy significantly reduced oral colonization as well as occurrence of oral candidiasis caused by C. albicans and led to a species shift toward non-albicans species. Antifungal resistance was not yet a concern in Chad.

Urban legends series: oral candidosis

Candida species (spp) are commensal yeast that can only instigate oral infection (oral candidosis - OC) when there is an underlying predisposing condition in the host. We investigated four controversial topics on OC: (i) How can a microbiological determination of OC be made as Candida spp. are commensal yeasts and not all of them form hyphae or pseudohyphae during infection? (ii) Is median rhomboid glossitis (MRG) a manifestation of candidal infection? (iii) Can candidal infection cause palate papillary hyperplasia (PPH)? (iv) What is the best therapeutic treatment for denture-associated erythematous stomatitis (DAES)? Results from extensive literature searches, including a systematic review, suggested the following: (i) the diagnosis of OC merely on the basis of the presence of yeasts is an oversimplification of a complex process. No convincing evidence of a single test or method better able to discriminate the transition from candidal saprophytism to pathogenicity has been reported in the literature; (ii-iii) conclusive evidence of a direct aetiopathogenic relationship between MRG and PPH and candidal infection has not been found; and (iv) only limited evidence is available for any DAES treatment, thus making it impossible to make strong therapeutic recommendations.

Glossitis and other tongue disorders

Patients frequently present complaining of tongue abnormalities. Knowledge of normal tongue anaomy an d architecture enable the clinician t odifferentiate variations of normal from abnormal conditions. Many tongue conditions are benign and. require reassurance and explanation, with little to no treatment. Others can signify systemic disorders. Examination of the tongue is an integral part of a complete physical examination. Recognizing the disorders of the tongue that are benign and do not require treatment or further evaluation prevents unnecessary testing for the patient. Careful evaluation of the tongue may provide valuable clues to a systemic disorder.

Glossite rombóide mediana associada a candidíase esofagiana: uma possível relação etiológica com a Candida albicans

A glossite rombóide mediana é doença inflamatória que ocorre na superfície da língua. Apresenta-se como placa avermelhada ou vermelho-esbranquiçada no dorso da língua, na localização mediana. A etiologia é desconhecida. Acredita-se que possa haver relação com a má formação dos arcos branquiais durante a embriogênese. Fatores infecciosos relacionados à Candida albicans também são aventados. Os autores apresentam o caso clínico de uma paciente de 60 anos, com glossite rombóide mediana associada a esofagite candidiásica, ambas responsivas ao tratamento com itraconazol e fluconazol oral. Discute-se se a cândida não seria um dos fatores implicados na etiologia da doença lingual.

Experimental oral candidiasis in animal models

Oral candidiasis is as much the final outcome of the vulnerability of the host as of the virulence of the invading organism. We review here the extensive literature on animal experiments mainly appertaining to the host predisposing factors that initiate and perpetuate these infections. The monkey, rat, and mouse are the choice models for investigating oral candidiasis, but comparisons between the same or different models appear difficult, because of variables such as the study design, the number of animals used, their diet, the differences in Candida strains, and the duration of the studies. These variables notwithstanding, the following could be concluded. (i) The primate model is ideal for investigating Candida-associated denture stomatitis since both erythematous and pseudomembranous lesions have been produced in monkeys with prosthetic plates; they are, however, expensive and difficult to obtain and maintain. (ii) The rat model (both Sprague-Dawley and Wistar) is well proven for observing chronic oral candidal colonization and infection, due to the ease of breeding and handling and their ready availability. (iii) Mice are similar, but in addition there are well characterized variants simulating immunologic and genetic abnormalities (e.g., athymic, euthymic, murine-acquired immune deficiency syndrome, and severe combined immunodeficient models) and hence are used for short-term studies relating the host immune response and oral candidiasis. Nonetheless, an ideal, relatively inexpensive model representative of the human oral environment in ecological and microbiological terms is yet to be described. Until such a model is developed, researchers should pay attention to standardization of the experimental protocols described here to obtain broadly comparable and meaningful data.

Hyper-IgE syndrome with recurrent infections--an autosomal dominant multisystem disorder

BACKGROUND

The hyper-IgE syndrome with recurrent infections is a rare immunodeficiency characterized by recurrent skin and pulmonary abscesses and extremely elevated levels of IgE in serum. Associated facial and skeletal features have been recognized, but their frequency is unknown, and the genetic basis of the hyper-IgE syndrome is poorly understood.

METHODS

We studied 30 patients with the hyper-IgE syndrome and 70 of their relatives. We took histories, reviewed records, performed physical and dental examinations, took anthropometric measurements, and conducted laboratory studies.

RESULTS

Nonimmunologic features of the hyper-IgE syndrome were present in all patients older than eight years. Seventy-two percent had the previously unrecognized feature of failure or delay of shedding of the primary teeth owing to lack of root resorption. Common findings among patients were recurrent fractures (in 57 percent of patients), hyperextensible joints (in 68 percent), and scoliosis (in 76 percent of patients 16 years of age or older). The classic triad of abscesses, pneumonia, and an elevated IgE level was identified in 77 percent of all patients and in 85 percent of those older than eight. In 6 of 23 adults (26 percent), IgE levels declined over time and came closer to or fell within the normal range. Autosomal dominant transmission of the hyper-IgE syndrome was found, but with variable expressivity. Of the 27 relatives at risk for inheriting the hyper-IgE syndrome, 10 were fully affected, 11 were unaffected, and 6 had combinations of mild immunologic, dental, and skeletal features of the hyper-IgE syndrome.

CONCLUSIONS

The hyper-IgE syndrome is a multisystem disorder that affects the dentition, the skeleton, connective tissue, and the immune system. It is inherited as a single-locus autosomal dominant trait with variable expressivity.

Classification and clinical manifestations of oral yeast infections

By tradition oral candidosis has been classified into acute pseudomembranous (thrush), acute atrophic, chronic atrophic, and chronic hyperplastic types. However, pseudomembranous candidosis is not always acute but may last for many months. Furthermore, the value of using the term atrophic to describe an erythematous area is limited. Moreover, some of the various types have been associated with other clinical entities, which appear to have a combined bacterial/mycologic etiology. A revision of the classification should be based on the use of clinical terms, and in a previous study of multifocal oral candidosis, erythematous, plaque-like, and nodular forms were identified. A revised classification of oral candidosis which considers these aspects could be as follows: acute types: pseudomembranous and erythematous; chronic types: pseudomembranous, erythematous, plaque-like, and nodular; and Candida-associated lesions: denture stomatitis, angular cheilitis, and median rhomboid glossitis.

Central papillary atrophy of the tongue among bidi smokers in India: a 10-year study of 182 lesions

The occurrence of central papillary atrophy of the tongue among tobacco users, its clinical characteristics and the long term behavior in relation to changes in tobacco use was studied in 182 individuals in Ernakulam district, Kerala, India. Almost all (98%) lesions occurred among bidi smokers. Clinically, about 31% occurred in combination with bidi smoking associated lesions such as palatal erythema (14%), leukoplakia (8%) or both (3%). Histologic evaluation in 12 biopsies using single PAS stained sections showed candidal hyphae in 67%. A 10-yr follow-up (mean: 6.7 yr) of the 182 lesions showed that the regression was highest (87%) among those who stopped their smoking habit and persistence among those who did not reduce or stop their smoking habits. The findings from this study confirm a strong link between bidi smoking and central papillary atrophy of the tongue in rural Indian populations.

Painless, irregularly shaped erythematous area on the middorsum of the tongue

Regardless of what name is used to identify the lesion and its nature of origin, clinicians should be aware of the clinical features and biologic activity of this relatively common oral abnormality and be prepared to reassure patients of the innocuous nature of the lesion.

Oral gonococcal infection

2 patients are described in whom the occurrence of central papillary atrophy of the tongue (CPA) was concurrent with gonococcal stomatitis. The significance of this finding is discussed in an attempt to highlight the fact that, in many patients, infectious processes may be responsible for the production of CPA. Previous reports combining gonococcal stomatitis and central papillary atrophy of the tongue were not found during a thorough review of the world literature.

Tobacco smoking and denture wearing as local aetiological factors in median rhomboid glossitis

The importance of tobacco smoking and denture wearing in the aetiology of median rhomboid glossitis (MRG) has been evaluated in 39 patients. Significantly more of the MRG patients (85%) smoked tobacco compared with the corresponding proportion (41%) of the 39 healthy age-and sex-matched control subjects. Their tobacco consumption was also heavier. A significantly greater proportion of the MRG patients wore their dentures continuously compared with the controls. The number of MRG patients who were both tobacco smokers and denture wearers was significantly increased above that of the control group, as was the number who both smoked and wore dentures continuously. Only 1 patient neither smoked nor wore dentures and she was taking an antidepressant (imipramine hydrochloride) with a reported association with oral candidosis. It is suggested that these local factors may play a part in the development of MRG by favouring the local proliferation of Candida albicans on the dorsum of the tongue. Although conservative or surgical treatment may provide relief, management should also include attention to possible predisposing local factors.

Chronic candidiasis of the rat tongue: a possible model for human median rhomboid glossitis

Ten female Sprague-Dawley rats were inoculated orally with a suspension of viable Candida albicans. Lesions were induced on the posterior midline dorsum of the tongue in seven of ten animals. The clinical and histologic appearance of these lesions was similar to human median rhomboid glossitis.

Candidiasis and atrophic tongue lesions

In an attempt to shed more light on the role of Candida albicans in the genesis of median rhomboid glossitis, a three-part study of normal, atrophic, and cadaver tongues was undertaken. Occasional fungal hyphae were found in 36 percent of the clinically normal tongues. Hyphae were far more numerous in cytologic smears from atrophic tongue lesions than in those from normal tongues. More than 40 percent of the cadaver tongues showed fungal hyphae. The possible role of C. albicans as a cause of median rhomboid glossitis is discussed in the light of these findings.