10 Causes of White Tongue
Cause #4: Syphilitic Leukoplakia
Syphilitic leukoplakia refers to the white lesion that is seen in the tertiary phase of a syphilis infection. It is now rare as more people are now aware about syphilis and seek treatment before it reaches the tertiary stage of the disease. The white patch on the surface of the tongue increases the risk of oral cancer. Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection that is caused by a bacterium known as Treponema pallidum.
The symptoms differ based on the different stages of the condition (primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary syphilis). Other associated symptoms of tertiary syphilis besides syphilitic leukoplakia are neurosyphilis (involvement of the central nervous system), syphilitic aortitis (involvement of the aorta), and the presence of gummas (soft and non-cancerous growths) all over the body.
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