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Mouth Diseases

Purplish blue spot on tongue

04/28/2006

Question:

I just found a purplish blue spot on my tongue, I have no idea how it has come to be. It just appeared 5 minutes ago out of which seems to be nowhere. It does not hurt but it feels a wee bit rough....can you help me with this??

thanks

Answer:

Depending upon the exact appearance, it sounds as though you have discovered a superficial blood vessel called a vein. Occasionally, veins in the mouth get wider or expand (just as they do in the lower legs) to produce a varix or varicosity (varicose vein). Usually these do not cause any symptoms but biting or local trauma may result in bleeding.

Since other conditions can mimic a varix, I recommend that you seek the opinion of your dentist or dental specialist to confirm my clinical opinion. In addition, if the area gets larger or starts to bother you in any way, immediate professional attention to exclude any more serious conditions would be warranted.

Good luck! 

 

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Response by:

The Ohio State University John R Kalmar, DMD, PhD
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Graduate Studies
Dental Faculty Practice
Section of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology
College of Dentistry
The Ohio State University
John R Kalmar, DMD, PhD