Rare diseases · Sign or symptom
Geographic tongue
HP:0025252
What it means
An anomaly of the tongue characterized by loss (atrophy) of filiform papillae of the tongue, leaving areas of erythema (redness), surrounded by a serpiginous, white, hyperkeratotic border. The name geographic tongue refers to an appearance that is said to be similar to a map.
Rare diseases that can present with this1
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: Annulus migrans · Benign migratory glossitis · Glossitis areata exfoliativa · Lingual erythema migrans · Wandering rash of the tongue
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Start free with EleplanThis page uses the Human Phenotype Ontology (2026-06-23) — Human Phenotype Ontology Consortium, hpo.jax.org. Disease associations from Orphanet (INSERM), CC BY 4.0. Content is educational and is not medical advice.