Is an indurated tongue ulcer neoplastic?
Not necessarily. A midline, indurated ulcer of the dorsum of the tongue is unlikely to represent cancer,
but suggests instead a granulomatous disorder (tuberculosis or histoplasmosis). Conversely, an ulcer
located on the lateral or inferior surface of the tongue suggests a diagnosis of Behçet syndrome (first
described by the Turkish dermatologist Hulusi Behçet in 1937, and consisting of orogenital ulcers plus joint
and ocular manifestations). Finally, a nonindurated peripheral ulcer unassociated with systemic manifestations is a simple aphtha.
Not necessarily. A midline, indurated ulcer of the dorsum of the tongue is unlikely to represent cancer,
but suggests instead a granulomatous disorder (tuberculosis or histoplasmosis). Conversely, an ulcer
located on the lateral or inferior surface of the tongue suggests a diagnosis of Behçet syndrome (first
described by the Turkish dermatologist Hulusi Behçet in 1937, and consisting of orogenital ulcers plus joint
and ocular manifestations). Finally, a nonindurated peripheral ulcer unassociated with systemic manifestations is a simple aphtha.