Most common oral change of nutritional anemia is:

# Most common oral change of nutritional anemia is:

A. Atrophic glossitis

B. Leukoplakia

C. Lichen planus

D. Hypertrophic glossitis

The correct answer is A. Atrophic glossitis.

Glossitis is one of the more common symptoms of pernicious anemia. The patients complain of

painful and burning lingual sensations which may be so annoying that the dentist is often consulted first for local relief. The tongue is generally inflamed, often described as ‘beefy red’ in color, either in entirety or in patches scattered over the dorsum and lateral borders. In some cases, small and shallow ulcers — resembling aphthous ulcers — occur on the tongue. Characteristically, with the glossitis, glossodynia and glossopyrosis, there is gradual atrophy of the papillae of the tongue that eventuate in a smooth or ‘bald’ tongue which is often referred to as Hunter’s glossitis or Moeller’s glossitis and is similar to the ‘bald tongue of Sandwith’ seen in pellagra. Loss or distortion of taste is sometimes reported accompanying these changes. The fiery red appearance of the tongue may undergo periods of remission, but recurrent attacks are common.

Shafer 7th Edition, Page no: 763

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