Abstract:
The tongue is a multifunctional organ that acts as an essential pathophysiological diagnostic tool across ancient and modern medicine. The surface of the tongue, characterized by papillae and taste buds, exhibits visibly changing patterns in the face of certain systemic health conditions. Traditionally, ancient forms of medicine, such as TCM, have mapped special parts of the tongue to internal organs and have clinically evaluated changes in color, texture, or coating for the diagnosis of diseases. In modern clinical medicine, examination of the tongue provides noninvasive insights into conditions such as diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, deficiencies of nutrients, rheumatic diseases, and chronic kidney disease.
