Case report macroglossia: Review and application of tongue reduction technique

Abstract

Congenital macroglossia is uncommon condition, Enlargement can be true as seen in vascular malformations or muscular enlargement. It may cause significant symptoms in children such as sleep apnea, respiratory distress, drooling, difficulty in swallowing and dysarthria. Long-standing macroglossia leads to an anterior open bite deformity, mucosal changes, exposure to potential trauma, increased incidence of upper respiratory tract infections and failure to thrive. Tongue movements, sounds and Speech articulation may also be affected. It is important to achieve uniform global reduction of the enlarged tongue for functional as well as esthetic reasons. The multiple techniques advocated for tongue reduction reveal that an ideal procedure has yet to emerge. In our case report we describe a modified reduction technique of the tongue globally preserving the taste, sensation and mobility of the tongue suitable for cases of enlargement of the tongue as in muscular hypertrophy. It can be used for repeat reductions without jeopardizing the mobility and sensibility of the tongue.

Keywords

• Macroglossia
• Tongue reduction
• Glossectomy