A Patient with a "Strawberry Tongue"

Abstract

The primary constituents of saliva are water and mucins that keep the oral mucous membranes moist and lubricated. When salivary gland secretions are diminished or lost, patients may develop symptoms of oral dryness (xerostomia), burning, soreness, and difficulty with eating, taste, and swallowing. The use of xerogenic medications is one of the major causes of reduced salivary gland function. This case report describes a patient with mood disorders and fibromyalgia for which he was taking five medications that are associated with xerostomia and hyposalivation. In order to alleviate his oral dryness, he began to use a homemade beverage that discolored his tongue and masked a median rhomboid glossitis. This lesion is a manifestation of infection by Candida albicans that can develop as a consequence of a loss of saliva and its constituent protective antimicrobial proteins.