Stroke victim’s tongue turns black and hairy after he is put on pureed diet

The patient developed the bizarre but harmless condition after suffering a stroke (Picture: Medical Trust Hospital/JAMA)

A stroke victim’s tongue turned black and became covered in a thick carpet of ‘hair’ after he was put on a pureed diet.

The patient, in his 50s, developed a layer of dead skin and bacteria on his tongue two months after eating blended foods and liquids.

The gruesome condition, known as ‘black hairy tongue’ but described by doctors as lingua villosa nigra, occurred after the man was left paralysed on his left side, including his face, and struggled to chew.

Carers took the patient to the Medical Trust Hospital in Cocha, Kerala, southern India – where medics simply advised them to brush his tongue thoroughly.

The condition cleared up within 20 days.  

The patient’s case was published yesterday in the journal, Jama Dermatology.

Dermatologists — led by Dr Puravoor Jayasree — diagnosed him with the condition after taking mucus samples from his tongue. 

They wrote in the journal: ‘A man in his 50s presented to the dermatology department with a painless, thick black coating on his tongue.’  

Doctors diagnosed Black Hairy Tongue – which cleared up in 20 days (Picture: Medical Trust Hospital/JAMA)

Examination of the man’s tongue showed ‘thin, elongated, black fibers that gave the appearance of a hairy surface,’ the skin doctors said.

‘With these findings, a diagnosis of Black Hairy Tongue (BHT) was made.

‘The patient and caregivers were given advice regarding proper cleansing measures, and the discoloration resolved after 20 days.’

According to the British & Irish Society for Oral Medicine (BISOM), a hairy tongue occurs when small projections, known as papillae, on the top surface of the tongue become longer – giving them a hair-like appearance.

Debris from food, drinks, cigarettes, yeast and bacteria can cause discolouration.

The bizarre ailment is said to be harmless, albeit unsightly.  

It is often triggered by poor dental hygiene, smoking, drinking excessive amounts of tea and coffee, eating soft foods and medical conditions that can cause a dry mouth, such as diabetes.

However in some cases the condition develops for no reason, BISOM said.

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