Haematological and immunological features of patients with fissured tongue syndrome.

Blood samples from 40 patients with fissured tongue syndrome (FTS) were examined, and the results were compared with those of 20 healthy control subjects. FTS was diagnosed when a) the patient had a fissured tongue with smooth-surfaced papillae (n = 25) or b) the patient had geographic tongue and some relatives had fissured tongue (n = 15). These tongue forms were verified also histologically. To evaluate the possibility of systemic disorders in patients with FTS we determined the whole blood picture and levels of vitamin B12, serum folate, serum ferritin, and immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG, IgM, IgE). None of the patients with FTS nor any of the controls were found to be anaemic. The mean levels of serum vitamin B12, ferritin and folate were, however, slightly lower in the patient group than in the controls. These findings suggest that anaemia does not play a primary role in the aetiology of fissured tongue syndrome. The most striking haematological findings were the decreased thrombocyte and leucocyte counts in patients with fissured tongue syndrome compared with the control subjects. Furthermore, the lymphocyte count and serum IgG were low in the patient group. When the two patient groups were compared no differences were found. These observations are discussed from the standpoint of deficiency in the immunological defence mechanism of patients with fissured tongue syndrome.