Some patients may develop a white coating over the tongue. This may appear when the patient is sick, febrile and dehydrated.
Clinical features:
(1) The patient has a white, tan or light brown coating over the middle of the dorsum of the tongue.
(2) The coating is described as "furry".
(3) A biopsy of the tongue shows hypertrophy of the filiform papillae with hyperkeratosis.
(4) Halitosis can occur.
Risk factors:
(1) mouth breathing
(2) dehydration
(3) fever
(4) smoking
Brushing the tongue can help to reduce accumulated material on the tongue. Avoiding any risk factors like smoking can help to reduce the problem.
Differential diagnosis:
(1) oral Candidiasis
(2) leukoplakia
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Specialty: Otolaryngology
