[ad_1]
While recovering from the hospital after a serious car accident, a 55-year-old Missouri woman started complaining of nausea and bad taste in her mouth. Subsequent oral examination revealed an alarming view – the patient's tongue became black and was covered with hair-like structures. But if this rare disease seems serious, it is actually harmless.
A new case report published today in the New England Journal of Medicine chronicles a rare case of black hairy tongue, a condition known as lingua villosa nigra.
According to a case study, after a serious injury during which both her legs were crushed, an anonymous woman was sent to the hospital. During his convalescence, an infection appeared in one of his wounds. The medical team administered an antibiotic treatment consisting of meropenem, which she received intravenously, and minocycline, administered orally.
A week later, the patient's tongue began to turn brownish black. She complained of nausea and said that she had a bad taste in her mouth. The patient's medical team diagnosed her with a black hairy tongue, with a likely reaction to minocycline.
The hairy tongue is a benign condition and surprisingly common, but most of the time it appears yellowish, not the absolute black, as seen in this particular case. According to David Warren, co-author of the new report and professor of medicine in the United States, it is known that about 1% of the population affects about 1% of the population. University of Washington School of Medicine.
This occurs when the bumps on the upper surface of the tongue, filiform papillae, become exceptionally long. These tiny buttons grow longer, their length varying from 1 millimeter to 18 millimeters. So, technically speaking, it's not actually the hair that grows out of the tongue.
"If you look closely at the surface of the tongue, you will see that it looks like sandpaper. The filiform papillae form the rough surface, "Warren told Gizmodo. "They are covered with keratin, the same protein as in the skin. Normally, this outer layer of the papillae is continually removed when we eat. In the hairy tongue, for various reasons, this layer develops more quickly and can be removed, so that the taste buds become longer. Changes in the types of bacteria that normally live in the mouth can cause the development of the pigment. "
It's not entirely clear why minocycline can cause black hairy tongue, but Warren said it could change the types of bacteria that live in the mouth, allowing some species to proliferate that cause the pigment. Other antibiotics and medications have also been associated with the disease, such as smoking, bad oral care, high consumption of black tea and coffee, and radiation therapy for head and neck cancer, has said Warren. Fortunately, the black hairy tongue is reversible and there are no long-term effects on health.
"The black and hairy tongue can be very disturbing because of its appearance, but in general it's benign," Warren said. "Some people with black and hairy tongue say they have an irritation in the mouth, a bad taste in the mouth, a food that does not taste good or bad breath. Treatment of the hairy black tongue involves removing foods and drinks from your diet that are known to cause it, quitting smoking and having good oral hygiene. Brushing the top of the tongue with a soft toothbrush can also help. If these measures do not work, if they take drugs known to cause hairy black tongue, or if someone is worried a lot about it, they should consult their doctor. "
In this case, the woman was removed from the minocycline and given another group of antibiotics. He was also told to practice better oral hygiene. Four weeks after stopping the minocycline, her tongue had returned to normal.
This must undoubtedly be a great relief for the patient.
[New England Journal of Medicine]Source link
