Tongue patterns of African children in health and in malnutrition

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Abstract
1. Tongue prints obtained by the method of Di PALMA have been obtained from 400 apparently healthy African school children within the age range 9–15 years. 2. The tongue patterns thus obtained can be classified under four heads, according to the predominance of filiform or fungiform papillae, the linear arrangement of filiform papillae, and fissuring of the mucosa. 3. The ratio of filiform to fungiform papillae in health is roughly 4.5 : 1, but in cases of malnutrition the ratio is lowered by the disappearance of the filiform papillae, to 2 : 1, or less; the appearance of this lowered ratio is followed in progressive malnutrition, by disorganization of the mucosa. 4. Comparison of tongue pattern findings with those of independent clinical examination of a further 402 African school children in good health showed the findings to agree in 381 (94 per cent.). Out of 56 cases of malnutrition as determined by clinical assessment, 54 (96 per cent.) showed typical tongue changes. 5. It is considered that tongue prints have a place as permanent records of nutritional status. They have also been employed as a rough screening method for the detection of malnutrition amongst African school children in circumstances where clinical examination was not feasible.

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