Clinical-Statistical Study on Tongue Modifications in Elderly Stroke Patients

The purpose of the paper was to highlight the qualitative changes in the tongue of stroke patients and to explain the possible etiopathogenic mechanisms, in correlation with local and general risk factors. The working method consisted in a multidisciplinary study, using a rigorous working programme, on 91 patients of both genders, aged between 50 and 90 plus, hospitalised in the National Institute of Neurology and Neurovascular Diseases – Bucharest, based on a standard medical observation record, employing classical exploration, through a specialised clinical exam, as well as modern investigation means, and, when possible, metabolic research, in connection with the pathology of cerebrovascular diseases. The results indicated a 25,27% frequency of glossitis in stroke patients, as well as a wide variety of clinical manifestations. We studied a series of factors that may be incriminated in glossitis etiopathogeny, related to the clinical characteristics of the disease, the occurrence of comorbidity and the localisation of cerebrovascular lesions. The data of the study are presented in graphs and exemplified through the presentation of some significant cases. The important conclusion of the paper is that the high frequency of glossitis in cerebrovascular disease sufferers, the etiopathogeny, can be justified not only by the existence of local-regional conditions and comorbidity but also by the fact that an important percentage of glossitis occurred in patients of any age and especially in elderly ones could be explained considering the most important disease of the century, atherosclerosis.