Lesiones de la lengua y factores de riesgo en niños, Clínica UCSG, B-2025.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Tongue lesions are frequent clinical findings in pediatric oral pathology, although they often go unnoticed due to their benign or transient nature. Among the most common are geographic tongue, fissured tongue, traumatic ulcers, and aphthous ulcers, while others such as candidiasis, papillomas, and fibromas occur less frequently. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of tongue lesions and their association with risk factors in pediatric patients treated at the Dental Clinic of the Catholic University of Santiago de Guayaquil during the B-2025 academic period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A quantitative, cross-sectional, observational, and analytical study was conducted on 80 pediatric patients. Tongue lesions were identified through review of medical records and clinical examination. Risk factors such as oral hygiene, eating habits, parafunctional habits, local irritants, medical history, age, and sex were evaluated through clinical examination and a survey of the patients' guardians. RESULTS: The majority of patients did not present with tongue lesions (91.3%), while lesions were identified in 8.75%. Geographic tongue was the most frequent lesion (6.30%), followed by pseudomembranous candidiasis and aphthous ulcers (1.30% each). A significant association was found between tongue lesions and the habit of biting objects (p = 0.025), consumption of spicy foods (p = 0.003), acidic foods (p < 0.001), and sharp tooth edges (p < 0.001). No significant association was found with sex (p = 1.000). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of tongue lesions was low, with geographic tongue being the most common. Local irritants and trauma significantly influenced their appea