Caviar tongue, also known as lingual varicosities and sublingual varices, is considered as a physiological change associated with advancing age, usually developing due to senile elastolytic degeneration of sublingual veins [1,2].
If caviar tongue is present in younger people, it is suggested that it could be a sign for premature aging. It may be an underlying systemic disease. Another study found that healthy, non-medicated people ranging between 20 to 95 years of age had no oral changes with the tongue.
The lesions may tend to be firmer when thrombosed. The lesions usually appear bluish purple, with elevated blebs commonly seen on the ventral or lateral or both the borders of the tongue. The ventral surface of the tongue is one of the most common sites for a definite diagnosis.
Sublingual varices (SLV) are dilated tortuous veins that may be seen along the ventral surface of the tongue or floor of mouth, and tend to become more prominent with age. However, in a young population, such vascular lesions could be part of Fabry, or Osler syndrome.
Sublingual varices (SV) are dilatations of tortuous veins that increased with age. Previous studies showed that this pathology could be correlated to some risk factors such as hypertension, age, gender and diabetes mellitus.
Median survival from the time of variceal diagnosis was 59 months (confidence interval [CI] 95%: 45-73 months). Five-year and 10-year cumulative survival rates in the entire cohort were 49.7% and 27.7%, respectively, with no sex-related differences.
Oral varicosities are usually innocuous lesions that can be diagnosed clinically and, therefore, do not require treatment. However, surgical excision can be performed for thrombosed varices, for aesthetically displeasing varicosities on the lips, or in situations where the diagnosis must be confirmed.
Blue or purple
The spots are caused by stray particles from the silver and are painless and benign. However, a blue or purple tongue could be due to poor oxygen circulation or a blood disorder. Enlarged blood vessels under the tongue are common in older adults and may cause a blueish hue.
Bleeding and swelling under the tongue is called a sublingual hematoma. It can happen after some kind of tooth surgery or implant. Or it can happen after a mouth or tongue injury.
However, with caviar tongue, the blood vessels become dilated and tortuous and appear round and black (resembling caviar). Caviar tongue is also referred to as sublingual varices (plural) and varix (singular) and look like varicose veins in the tongue. It is a benign, asymptomatic, venous lesion.
A pink tongue is healthy and normal. A red tongue may indicate heat in the body like a fever or a hormonal imbalance. A reddish purple tongue is a sign that there may be inflammation or an infection in the body. A pale pink tongue may be a sign of a vitamin deficiency, a weak immune system or a lack of energy.
For example, a black and hairy looking tongue can signal poor oral hygiene, or diabetes. If your tongue is bright red like a strawberry, it could signal a deficiency in folic acid, vitamin B12, or iron. But, it could also mean you have strep throat, or a fever.
An unhealthy tongue. If your tongue is a different colour than pink, or has large patches of white, brown, black, or another colour, this might indicate a specific health issue. Similarly, if you have large bumps or no bumps at all, you may also want to speak to a doctor.
Great caviar has a wonderful texture. The beads roll in your tongue and slide through the roof of your mouth, firm, each bead distinct from the next, with little to no mushiness. Caviar is smooth but has no overwhelming oiliness to it and it has a wonderful pop once you bite into the eggs, releasing a burst of flavor.
Make an appointment with your doctor or dentist if: You're concerned about changes in your tongue. Your tongue hurts. Your white tongue persists for longer than a few weeks.
A blue or purple tongue can be an indicator of heart trouble, Marashi says. “If the heart is not pumping blood properly, or if there is a lack of oxygen in the blood, your tongue can turn a bluish purple,” he explains.
What Does a Healthy Tongue Look Like Underneath? The underside of the tongue also has papillae on it and is often pink in color (though usually slightly different from the shade of pink the surface of your tongue is).
Blue tongues have been observed in individuals treated with haloperidol or dopamine antagonists. The tongue of a patient receiving large doses of haloperidol (a butyrophenone agent) was observed to be blue [16].
Patients should avoid food such as taco shells, hard vegetables like carrots, raw fruits, etc., which might cause tearing of the veins. Food that helps in digestion, such as insoluble fibers, should be consumed in order to reduce the risk of constipation.
Bleeding esophageal varices is life-threatening condition and can be fatal in up to 50% of patients. People who have had an episode of bleeding esophageal varices are at risk for bleeding again. Treatment with variceal ligation is effective in controlling first-time bleeding episodes in about 90% of patients.
Currently, no treatment can prevent the development of esophageal varices in people with cirrhosis.
Cirrhosis can be divided into 4 stages: stage 1, no varices, no ascites; stage 2, varices without ascites and without bleeding; stage 3, ascites+/-varices; stage 4, bleeding+/-ascites. Yearly mortality ranges from 1% in stage 1 to 57% in stage 4.
Activity level and lifestyle. Living a sedentary lifestyle may increase your risk of developing varicose veins and make existing varicose veins worse. Spending long periods of time sitting makes your vascular system work harder to return blood to your heart.
Esophageal varices occur most often in people with cirrhosis or scarring of the liver. At least half the people who have cirrhosis end up with these swollen veins.