Furrowed tongue

What it means

Accentuation of the grooves on the dorsal surface of the tongue.

Usually there is a midline groove of the tongue with smaller radiating grooves. The deep furrows may extend to the lateral borders. They may follow a regular geometric pattern or be irregular. A furrowed tongue occurs in 10-25% of individuals but is rare in children.

Rare diseases that can present with this13

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category

Also called: Fissured tongue · Lingua plicata · Lingual furrow · Plicated tongue · Prominent tongue grooves · Scrotal tongue