Zhang C, Pan D, Li Y, Hu Y, Li T, Zhou Y. The risk factors associated with geographic tongue in a southwestern Chinese population. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol 2022; 134: 342-346.

In the Chinese population, geographic tongue was more prevalent in patients with <30 years of age, fissured tongue and gastrointestinal disorders, and it was less prevalent in those with burning mouth syndrome and oral lichen planus.

This retrospective cross-sectional study explored potential risk factors for the geographic tongue (GT) in a Chinese population. Demographic and medical data of 3,400 patients between March 2021 and August 2021 from the Department of Oral Medicine at West China Hospital of Stomatology was included. Binary logistic regression was conducted to analyse the association of GT and age, fissured tongue (FT), burning mouth syndrome (BMS), oral lichen planus (OLP), gastrointestinal disorders, and haematologic disorders. GT occurred in 3.6% of patients, with 15 out of 123 (12.2%) patients with GT having a family history. Binary logistic regression found age <30 years, FT, BMS, OLP and gastrointestinal disorders were significantly associated with GT, and GT was unrelated to recurrent aphthous ulcer or systemic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases.