Glossal double fissures in pre- and post-natal human specimens.

Glossal double fissures were found in a similar proportion of both pre- and post-natal tongue specimens. The condition was found in both sexes and in subjects of Negro, Caucasian and mixed ethnic origins. In cross-section, the area bounded by the fissures varied from raised to flat or depressed. Histologic analysis suggested that the double fissure appearance was a reflection of the topography of the subjacent muscle bundles and that true fissuring, when present, was probably a secondary phenomenon akin to acquired plication.