Geographic tongue treated with topical tacrolimus.

BACKGROUND: Geographic tongue, or benign migratory glossitis, is usually an asymptomatic inflammatory disorder of the tongue mucosa of unknown etiology. It is characterized by circinate, erythematous, ulcer-like lesions of the dorsum and lateral border of the tongue due to loss of filiform papillae of the tongue epithelium. Symptomatic treatments have not been evaluated rigorously.

MAIN OBSERVATION: We describe herein two cases of adult patients with persistent and painful geographic tongue successfully treated with topical application of 0.1% tacrolimus ointment.

CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first report of successful treatment with topical 0.1% tacrolimus for symptomatic geographic tongue. Clinical trials are needed to confirm the efficacy and the safety of topical tacrolimus in treating geographic tongue.