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Herpetic geometric glossitis is a unique morphologic variant of HSV (herpes simplex virus) type 1 infection on the dorsum of the tongue that presents as an extremely painful linear central lingual fissure with a branched pattern. in the center of the tongue; there is a branched pattern of fissures that extend bilaterally from the central linear fissure. Herpetic geometric glossitis has been reported in 11 patients; 8 of these individuals were immunocompromised. Medical conditions and immunosuppressive medication treatment (7 patients) or only medical disorders (3 patients) or neither (1 patient) were present. HSV type 1 infection was diagnosed by viral culture in (7 patients), Tzanck preparation (2 patients) or clinically (2 patients). Mucocutaneous HSV infection at non-lingual locations--including the lips, labial mucosa, face and chest--were observed in 5 patients. All patients' symptoms and lesions responded to treatment with oral antiviral therapy: acyclovir (9 patients), famciclovir (1 patient) or valacyclovir (1 patient). The lingual pain and dorsal tongue fissures completely resolved completely within two to 14 days. In summary, herpetic geometric glossitis is a unique HSV type 1 infection, usually in immunocompromised patients, that occurs on the dorsal tongue and responds completely after treatment with orally administered antiviral therapy.

Case History: A 3-year-old, intact female mixed-breed dog, weighing 7 kg, was presented with generalised swelling of the tongue, leading to impaired deglutition and episodes of dyspnoea. From the age of 2 years, the dog had been under immunosuppressive therapy due to atopic dermatitis., Clinical Findings and Treatment: Multiple nodular lesions at the apex of the tongue were noted as well as mandibular and retropharyngeal lymph node enlargement. Serum biochemistry results showed inflammatory changes. The results of several biopsies taken over 7 months indicated persistent pyogranulomatous and necrotising glossitis despite ongoing antimicrobial treatment, first with amoxicillin/clavulanic acid and then pradofloxacin. No foreign material, acid-fast bacteria or fungal hyphae were detected throughout. The final diagnosis of Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis ( Mah ) was reached after PCR and bacterial culture were carried out on the third biopsy sample. Therapy was initiated with rifampicin, clarithromycin and doxycycline, leading to complete remission of the lesions., Diagnosis: Severe chronic pyogranulomatous and necrotising glossitis associated with infection by Mah ., Clinical Relevance: This report describes challenges in the diagnosis and therapy of a localised Mah infection in an iatrogenically immunocompromised dog. Successful treatment was only achieved with a specific combination of antibiotics administered long-term., Abbreviations: AF: Acid-fast; ALP: Alkaline phosphatase; CT: Computed tomography; MAC: Mycobacterium avium complex; Mah : Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis .

Vitamins are organic compounds present in low concentrations in food, performing vital and specific cell metabolism functions. Vitamin B12 is essential for red blood cell formation in the bone marrow and its deficiency is caused, mainly, by gastrointestinal malabsorption. In addition to systemic manifestations, oral signs and symptoms have also been associated to this condition such as glossitis, papillary atrophy, painful erythema areas, burning sensation, dysgeusia, lingual paresthesia and itching. This study aims to report four cases of oral manifestations caused by vitamin B12 deficiency. All patients presented oral mucosa lesions. Vitamin B12 deficiency was diagnosed based in clinical characteristics and complementary exams. Oral supplementation for vitamin B12 deficiency was conducted/realized in three patients, while one patient was treated with parenteral doses. All of them showed partial or total remission of the signs and symptoms., (© 2021 Special Care Dentistry Association and Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared.

The aim of this study was to evaluate zinc gluconate as a treatment option in patients with symptomatic migratory glossitis (MG). Using simple random sampling, 28 non-psoriatic patients with symptomatic MG were divided into a test and control group. The test group took 20 mg/day of chelated zinc gluconate for one month, and was put on a diet rich in zinc. The control group was only put on a diet rich in zinc. Changes in the size of red atrophied areas (width and length) and the intensity of symptoms were evaluated as primary and secondary outcomes, respectively, at baseline, after therapy, and one month later. In the test group, the mean value of the red atrophy area width and length displayed some significant reduction as a primary outcome. There were no significant changes in the size of red patches in the control group. Secondary outcome showed that the intensity of subjective symptoms in the test group significantly decreased (P=0.042) compared with controls. The filiform papillae had partially or completely regenerated in 85.7% of cases in the test group and in 23.1% of the controls (P=0.001). Red patches with raised keratotic rims may have healed spontaneously and reappeared in constantly changing patterns that are typical for MG. This phenomenon was not observed in patients supplemented with zinc, and new atrophy areas occurred in only one case. Low-dose zinc gluconate.

Background/purpose: Patients with serum antigastric parietal cell antibody (GPCA) positivity may have vitamin B12 deficiency and some oral symptoms. This study assessed the changes of serum GPCA titer in GPCA-positive patients after effective vitamin B12 treatment., Methods: Two hundred and ten GPCA-positive oral mucosal disease patients became oral symptom free (complete response) after 1.0-67.1 months of treatment with regular and continuous intramuscular injection of vitamin B12 once per week. The changes of serum GPCA titers after treatment were evaluated in these 210 patients., Results: We found a significant drop of the GPCA positive rate from 100% to 42.9% in our 210 complete response patients after effective vitamin B12 treatment (p < 0.001). When 210 patients were further divided into seven subgroups according to the low to high serum GPCA titers, we noted that the higher serum GPCA titers decreased to significantly lower levels after treatment in all seven subgroups (all p < 0.001). However, serum GPCA titers increased to significantly higher levels in 46 GPCA-positive control patients receiving only oral administration of two vitamin BC capsules (containing 10 μg of vitamin B12) plus deficient hematinic supplements per day after a follow-up period of 2.7-27 months. A maintenance vitamin B12 treatment once a month could retain the GPCA-negative status in 87% of treated-to GPCA-negative patients compared with those (10%) without further maintenance vitamin B12 treatment., Conclusion: Regular and continuous effective vitamin B12 treatment can reduce the relatively higher serum GPCA titers to significantly lower or undetectable levels in GPCA-positive patients., (Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

In comparison to the range of antibiotics used in medicine, the spectrum of antifungal and antiviral drugs used in primary dental care is relatively limited. In practical terms, there are only three antifungal agents and two antiviral agents that have a role. This paper will describe the clinical presentation of orofacial candidal and viral infections and the use of antimicrobial drugs in their management.

Aim: The mucocutaneous changes observed during vitamin B12 deficiency in children have been published only as case studies and small case series. In this study, we aimed to demonstrate the frequency of mucocutaneous changes (particularly hyperpigmentation) seen during vitamin B12 deficiency and resolving time of these symptoms with vitamin B12 treatment., Material and Methods: This prospective study was conducted at the pediatrics outpatient clinic of Harran and Yuzuncu Yil University Faculty of Medicine, among 57 patients, aged between 6 and 24 months, who were diagnosed with vitamin B12 deficiency following various examinations and tests. A detailed examination was performed in respect to skin and mucosal findings. Patients with vitamin B12 deficiency were administered intramuscular cyanocobalamin. Prospective examination was continued, and resolving time of symptoms after treatment was recorded., Results: The mean age of the patients enrolled in the study was found to be 12.75 ± 4.75. Hyperpigmentation was reported in 49 (85.96%) patients enrolled in the study; atrophic glossitis in 40 (70.17%), brittle and matt hair in 13 (22.80%), skin lesions (particularly diaper dermatitis) in eight (15.78%) and cheilosis in four (7.01%) patients. Three months after the treatment initiation, hyperpigmentation improved in 87.75%, atrophic glossitis in 97.5% and brittle and matt hair in 92.3% of the patients. Five patients (8.77%) with continuing pigmentation by the end of sixth months were considered as nonresponsive to the treatment., Conclusion: Deficiency of vitamin B12 should be considered in the differential diagnosis of infants who present with skin and mucosal lesions.

This study aimed at developing a novel rebamipide liquid for an effective treatment of oral mucositis. The healing effects of a variety of liquids comprising submicronized rebamipide crystals were investigated using a rat cauterization-induced oral ulcer model. Whereas 2% rebamipide liquid comprising micro-crystals did not exhibit significant curative effect, 2% rebamipide liquids comprising submicronized crystals with moderate viscosities exhibited healing effects following intra-oral administration. The 2% and 4% optimized rebamipide liquids showed significant healing effects in the rat oral ulcer model (p<0.01). In addition, in the rat radiation-induced glossitis model, whereby the injury was caused to the tongue by exposing only around the rat's snout to a 15 Gy of X-irradiation, the 2% optimized rebamipide liquid significantly reduced the percent area of ulcerated injury (p<0.05). In conclusion, the submicronized rebamipide liquid with moderate viscosity following intra-oral administration showed better both healing effect in the rat oral ulcer model and preventive effect in the rat irradiation-induced glossitis model.

A 64-year-old man with a 10-year history of Good syndrome had been treated with periodic replacement of γ-globulin. He also had a 6-year history of lichen planus of the tongue. In 2009, the patient was diagnosed as having pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) based on bone marrow aspiration. Thymectomy was not effective. Then, immunosuppressive therapy with PSL and cyclosporine was initiated. Twenty days after treatment painful ulcer appeared on the left side of the tongue. Biopsy specimen of the ulcer demonstrated cells infected with cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex virus. Cytomegalovirus antigenemia was also positive. The tongue ulcer promptly improved after gancyclovir administration for a few weeks. Viral glossitis should be considered as part of the differential diagnoses of oral lesions not only in patients with HIV infection but also in those under immunosuppressive therapy.

Pyostomatitis vegetans (PV) is a rare, chronic mucocutaneous disorder associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Oral lesions of PV are distinct and present as multiple white or yellow pustules with an erythematous base that coalesce and undergo necrosis to form a typical "snail tracks" appearance. Two cases of PV associated with IBD--one with Crohn's disease (CD) and the other with ulcerative colitis (UC) are reported. In the first case, adalimumab therapy brought the oral and gastrointestinal manifestations to complete remission. In the second case, the remission was achieved with systemic steroid therapy, but the disease relapsed after therapy discontinuation. Azathioprine was added leading to sustained remission of PV. Because of persistent active intestinal manifestation of UC, in spite of immunosuppressive therapy, infliximab was introduced. With the therapy remission of intestinal manifestation of UC was achieved as well. Our cases confirm previously reported good experience with immunomodulators and biologics in the treatment of PV. But, before using them we have to exclude an infectious etiology of oral lesions.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections in an immunocompromised host may be atypical in location and morphology. Lesions are more extensive and aggressive, slow healing or nonhealing and extremely painful. Intraoral lesions are ulcerative and may involve any intraoral, oropharyngeal, or esophageal site. Herpetic geometric glossitis is a recently described form of lingual HSV infection in an immunocompromised patient. It was described as ulcer on the dorsum of the tongue sensitive for acyclovir therapy. A patient is presented with acute myelogenous leukemia that developed herpetic geometric glossitis which was acyclovir resistant.

Herpetic geometric glossitis is an uncommon, clinically distinctive presentation of oral herpes simplex virus infection that affects the tongue. All published reports have been in patients who are immunocompromised. We present an immunocompetent woman with viral pneumonia who developed painful linear fissures on the back of the tongue suggestive of herpetic geometric glossitis. The diagnosis was confirmed by both biopsy specimen and immunohistochemistry. As in other cases, the patient promptly responded to treatment with antiviral therapy. The morphology, laboratory findings, and similarities to herpetic corneal dendrites are discussed. Herpetic geometric glossitis should no longer be considered as a diagnosis only in immunosuppressed individuals, but in immunocompetent persons as well.

Aim: This case report aims at describing an infection of the tongue as a manifestation of a Trichosporon asahii infection, its association with bronchial asthma and steroid administration, and to present a review of the literature pertaining to its antifungal susceptibility profile., Background: Trichosporon asahii has been reported to be associated with a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations, ranging from superficial infection to severe disseminated diseases, particularly in immunocompromised patients., Case Report: A 36-year-old male asthmatic patient with recurrent glossitis presented with a chief complaint of burning sensation and two red areas on the dorsum of the tongue of three months duration. The glossitis was associated with Trichosporon asahii, which had a reduced susceptibility to some azole antifungal agents., Summary: Trichosporon asahii is an emerging fungal pathogen which may cause a wide range of clinical manifestations. More reports on its various clinical presentations in the oral environment need to be made available in the literature. To date there is a paucity of data on its prevalence, pathogenesis, and antifungal resistance mechanism.

A 10-year-old gelding was presented with a tongue that had swelled immediately after oral administration of oxfendazole, using an udder infusion cannula. The tongue appeared to have been punctured inadvertently. The horse recovered after treatment with intravenous fluid, antibiotics, and anti-inflammatory drugs. Administering oral medication by this method should be discouraged.

Tuberculous glossitis is a rare entity that has been described sporadically. Primary tuberculous glossitis, as described in this case report, is still exceptional. A 25-year-old male with no known immunosuppressive disorder presented with a tuberculoma at the base of his tongue. This was confirmed by tongue biopsy and a positive polymerase chain reaction response to the mycobacterium. The patient had a favourable response to anti-tubercular treatment. This highlights the importance of considering tuberculosis in the differential diagnosis of chronic tongue lesions, even in the absence of pulmonary tuberculosis.

Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is characterized by oral dysesthesia, xerostomia and dysgeusia without visible alterations of oral mucosa. While secondary BMS results from an underlying general condition such as diabetes or iron deficiency, no causal disorder can be identified in primary BMS. The estimated prevalence is 1 - 2%, postmenopausal women are substantially more frequently affected than men. Current etiologic concepts assume a focal peripheral and central neuropathy. Only few controlled drug trials have yet been conducted. Thioctic acid appears the medical treatment of choice due to its comparatively good evidence for efficacy and low incidence of adverse reaction. Gabapentin and pregabalin are modern GABA-analogue anticonvulsants, which are also efficient in the treatment of peripheral neuropathies. Also conceptually appropriate for BMS treatment, current evidence for efficacy in BMS is insufficient. In two trials, local oral treatment with clonazepam has been beneficial in BMS. The efficacy of antidepressants is equivocal.

Delay in wound healing process and periodontal disease are 2 possible complications of diabetes mellitus; in case of periodontitis, surgical therapy is necessary if, due to the anatomical and topographical characteristics of periodontal lesions, it is not technically possible to eliminate all the etiological factors by scaling and root-planing therapy only. This work aimed at analysing the effectiveness of doxycycline hyclate as an accelerator of the healing process in laboratory animals (mice with diabetes mellitus). The results obtained after surgical incision of the oral epithelium in diabetic mice show that the topical application of doxycycline hyclate improves, in terms of reparative response time, the regenerative capacity of tissues analysed. Further studies are suggested to test the topical use of doxycycline hyclate in diabetic patients undergoing a periodontal operation in order to accelerate the wound healing process of the tissues concerned.

This paper reviews the current concepts of mycology and candidal infections as they relate to the oral cavity. Proposed classification for the presentation of oral candidosis is outlined as are examples of these topical infections, such as erythematous, pseudomembranous and hyperplastic candidosis, as well as angular chelitis and median rhomboid glossitis. The diagnosis and principles of management of oral candidosis are discussed, the therapeutic agents available for the management of these infections are presented and a treatment protocol for the management of patients with oral candidosis is given.

Median rhomboid glossitis (MRG) is an uncommon benign abnormality of the tongue, most frequently affecting men. It is typically located around the midline of the dorsum of the tongue, anterior to the lingual "V", appearing as a reddish, rhomboid area, depapillated, flat maculate or mamillated and raised by 2 - 5 mm. This paper reports a case of rhomboid glossitis in a 61-year-old man who consulted for a painless raised lesion on the dorsum of the tongue, in left paramedial (not medial) location. Histopathological findings were compatible with rhomboid glossitis. Other diagnoses considered but ruled out on the basis of the clinical and histopathological findings were haemangioma, pyogenic granuloma, amyloidosis, granular cell tumour, and squamous cell carcinoma. This case confirms that rhomboid glossitis may occur in paramedial locations.

A 50-year-old man was admitted to our clinic with a complaint of lingual enlargement. Detection of non-caseous epithelioid granuloma on histopathological examination led to a diagnosis of a granulomatous glossitis. Extensive investigation for the presence of associated disorders yielded negative results. Metranidazole and clofazimine were totally ineffective and tetracycline led to a minimal improvement. No associated disorder was detected at a 4-year follow-up examination. The position of granulomatous glossitis within the spectrum of orofacial granulomatous conditions is discussed.

Angioneurotic edema is a rare (0.1-0.2%) but potentially life-threatening side effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. It can result in serious respiratory distress, airway obstruction and death. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors associated angioedema is clinically poorly recognized and frequently underestimated condition. A case history of patient with angioneurotic edema due to treatment with ramipril is presented. A 51-year-old man has been sequentially treated for two years with atenolol, indapamide, enalapril, and fosinopril due to primary arterial hypertension. When the treatment was switched to ramipril 5 mg twice a day the fourth dose of the drug was followed by swelling of lips, tongue, and pharynx without symptoms of airway obstruction. Ramipril was discontinued, prednisolone 120 mg and loratidine 10 mg were given. Symptoms of angioedema gradually disappeared. Mechanisms of angioedema are not fully clear. Pharmacological action of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors on bradykinin and substance P, immunological mechanisms and disarrangements in complement system are discussed. Treatment includes immediate withdrawal of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and acute therapy with epinephrine 0.3-0.5 ml subcutaneous, 50 mg diphenhydramine s/c or i/v, 40-50 mg methylprednisolone. Future treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors is contraindicated.

Glossal abscess is infrequent in children. Anaerobic bacteria are rarely recovered from this infection and never have been reported in children or adolescents. A 15-year-old patient presented with a tongue abscess following trauma. Aspirate of the abscess yielded polymicrobial anaerobic flora: Prevotella melaninogenica, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Peptostreptococcus micros. The patient recovered following incision and drainage and 14 days of antimicrobial therapy with clindamycin. This report illustrates the recovery of anaerobic bacteria from glossal abscess in an adolescent.

Background: A moderate increase in plasma homocysteine level has been reported to be involved in neural tube defects, which can be prevented with folic acid supplementation. Folic acid, vitamins B6- and B12-dependent enzymes are required to metabolize homocysteine. A study in rats showed higher tissue homocysteine levels in riboflavin as well as pyridoxine deficiency. We studied the effect of treatment with pyridoxine or riboflavin on plasma total homocysteine concentration in women with clinical and biochemical deficiencies of riboflavin and pyridoxine., Methods: Plasma total homocysteine concentrations were measured in 20 women with glossitis and angular stomatitis before and after supplementation with pyridoxine or riboflavin., Results: Pyridoxine treatment significantly reduced plasma homocysteine concentration while riboflavin treatment did not have a significant effect., Conclusions: Plasma total homocysteine levels tended to be higher in women with clinical and biochemical deficiency of vitamin B6 and therapy with pyridoxine reduced its level significantly. Riboflavin supplementation did not have a significant impact on plasma homocysteine concentration in women with glossitis and angular stomatitis.

Herpetic geometric glossitis, a recently described form of lingual herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection, has been reported in 6 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients and 1 cardiac transplant patient who was receiving immunosuppressant therapy. An HIV-seronegative immunocompromised pediatric patient with acute myelogenous leukemia who developed herpetic geometric glossitis is described. Herpetic geometric glossitis can present in both adult and pediatric immunocompromised patients. The symptoms, morphology, laboratory findings and treatment of this infection are summarized. The possible consequences of untreated herpetic glossitis include superinfection and undernourishment. Although previously described patients responded to 1000 mg per day (divided in 5 doses) or oral acyclovir, with complete resolution of fissures, this patient developed herpetic geometric glossitis while receiving acyclovir and required higher doses of oral antiviral therapy (acyclovir, 3000 mg/day divided in 5 doses) to treat his HSV-1 lingual infection. Empiric treatment of an immunocompromised patient who has newly acquired painful tongue fissures or furrows with systemic acyclovir should be considered.

Atypical forms of Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome are difficult to diagnose, especially when occurring in uncommon facial locations. The clinical and histological characteristics of these forms are illustrated in a typical case. We report our experiences with a 59-year-old white male who had increasing swelling of his tongue for years and a recent onset of perioral swelling. A plicated tongue was present, while symptoms of facial and trigeminal nerve involvement were absent. Minor symptoms present were speech impediments, dysgeusia, episodes of hypersalivation and burning sensations on eating. Biopsies revealed sarcoid and lymphonodular-plasmocytic granulomatous infiltrates. These findings were consistent with a diagnosis of an oligosymptomatic Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome. Swelling of the tongue and that of the perioral region was controlled with clofazimine therapy.

Two immunocompromised patients with herpetic geometric glossitis, a clinically distinctive form of lingual herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1 infection, are described. The significant features of herpetic geometric glossitis are summarized, the clinical differential diagnosis of this form of HSV infection is reviewed, and the possible pathogenesis of these lingual lesions is discussed. Both of our patients, as well as all previously described patients with this condition, had extremely painful cross-hatched, branched, and/or linear fissures on the dorsal aspect of the tongue. Symptoms promptly resolved within 1 to 2 days, and the fissures subsequently healed within 3 to 12 days after systemic acyclovir therapy was initiated. In contrast to tongue lesions of herpetic geometric glossitis, similar-appearing lingual lesions of other conditions are usually asymptomatic. The similar morphology of corneal dendrites in herpetic epithelial keratitis and linear fissures in herpetic geometric glossitis suggest the possibility that these HSV mucosal lesions may have a common pathogenesis.

The case of a 59-year-old man with granulomatous glossitis is presented. The patient complained of increasing swelling of his tongue for years and a recent onset of perioral edema. Because of sarcoid-like granulomas found in a first lingual biopsy specimen, the disease was initially misdiagnosed as a localized form of sarcoidosis. A second biopsy specimen from the tongue revealed lymphonodular-plasmocytic granuloma-like infiltrates, which, in connection with the labial swelling, led to the diagnosis of Schuermann's glossitis granulomatosa as a peculiar manifestation of Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome. The surface of the tongue showed deep furrows characteristic of lingua plicata. However, no history or signs of facial or trigeminal nerve paralysis were present; thus the patient did not show the complete triad of symptoms typical of Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome. After treatment with clofazimine the perioral and lingual swelling disappeared within two weeks. Recurrences have been suppressed with a reduced maintenance dosage of this agent.

A clinical, bacteriological and serological pictures of 45 patients with chancriform pyoderma are presented, A single ulcer (92.8%), localized on genitals (91.1%) in adult males (93.3%), imitating or very similar to syphilitic primary chancre in our material was observed. A second case in the literature, of chancriform pyoderma on the dorsal surface of the tongue was recorded.

The median rhomboid glossitis is generally considered as a developmental anomaly of the tongue. Recent clinical, biological and experimental studies provide support for a fongous etiology: this lesion of the midline of the tongue is a chronic hyperplastic oral candidiasis, occurring sometimes in association with candidal commissural leukoplakias and palatine kissing lesions. The yeasts--mainly Candida albicans-- invade the upper parakeratotic layers of the epithelium inducing a proliferating acanthosis of the deeper epithelial ridges; superficial micro-pustules closely related to the candidal hyphae were found in most cases. Antifungal specific therapy appear effective in early lesions; later the condition becomes permanent and, in a few cases, may go further to malignant change. Fourteen cases are presented in this paper: the clinical, histopathological and therapeutic features are obviously in accord with this fongous infectious etiology (already suggested and demonstrated in 1965 by French stomatologists) and with the more recent experimental data published by Cawson, Sohnel and Kirkpatrick, Jones and Russell.

1. A study amongst schoolboys in villages around Hyderabad, India, showed that almost all the boys had riboflavin deficiency, 61% had pyridoxine deficiency, and 9.4% had thiamin deficiency as judged by enzymic tests. 2. The prevalence of angular stomatitis was 41.3% and that of glossitis was 18.2%. Biochemical deficiency of riboflavin and pyridoxine was marginally higher in children with angular stomatitis with or without associated glossitis, than in children without oral lesions. 3. Treatment with B-complex vitamins (containing 4 mg riboflavin and 10 mg pyridoxine) daily for 1 month produced significant reduction in the prevalence of glossitis but had no effect on angular stomatitis. The latter responded to topical application of gentian violet. 4. Small but significant changes in erythrocyte enzymes occurred over the period of 1 month even without vitamin supplements. 5. Results suggest that while glossitis is a relatively early manifestation of riboflavin or pyridoxine deficiency or both, angular stomatitis has a more complex aetiology perphaps associated with infection.