Question: What is (are) Geographic tongue ?
Answer: Geographic tongue is a condition that causes chronic and recurrent lesions on the tongue that resemble psoriasis of the skin. It is characterized by pink to red, slightly depressed lesions with irregular, elevated, white or yellow borders. The lesions may also occur in the mucosa of the mouth and labia; this condition is called "areata migrans" because they typically disappear from one area and move to another. The tongue is normally covered with tiny, pinkish-white bumps (papillae), which are actually short, fine, hair-like projections. With geographic tongue, patches on the surface of the tongue are missing papillae and appear as smooth, red "islands," often with slightly raised borders. These patches (lesions) give the tongue a map-like, or geographic, appearance. In most cases there are no symptoms but sometimes it is painful when inflamed. The cause is still unknown. Many researchers think it is linked with psoriasis but more research is needed to better understand the connection. Also, hereditary and environmental factors may be involved. The condition is benign and localized, generally requiring no treatment except reassurance. If painful it may be treated with steroid gels or antihistamine mouth rinses.[12267]
Source: GARD

Question: What are the symptoms of Geographic tongue ?
Answer: What are the signs and symptoms of Geographic tongue? The lesions seen in geographic tongue resemble those of psoriasis. Most patients do not experience symptoms. It has been estimated that about 5% of individuals who have geographic tongue complain of sensitivity to hot or spicy foods when the their lesions are active. The Human Phenotype Ontology provides the following list of signs and symptoms for Geographic tongue. If the information is available, the table below includes how often the symptom is seen in people with this condition. You can use the MedlinePlus Medical Dictionary to look up the definitions for these medical terms. Signs and Symptoms Approximate number of patients (when available) Autosomal dominant inheritance - Furrowed tongue - The Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) has collected information on how often a sign or symptom occurs in a condition. Much of this information comes from Orphanet, a European rare disease database. The frequency of a sign or symptom is usually listed as a rough estimate of the percentage of patients who have that feature. The frequency may also be listed as a fraction. The first number of the fraction is how many people had the symptom, and the second number is the total number of people who were examined in one study. For example, a frequency of 25/25 means that in a study of 25 people all patients were found to have that symptom. Because these frequencies are based on a specific study, the fractions may be different if another group of patients are examined. Sometimes, no information on frequency is available. In these cases, the sign or symptom may be rare or common.
Source: GARD