Isolated aglossia in a six year old child presenting with impaired speech: a case report.
BACKGROUND
The most mobile organ of the body, the tongue is associated with various congenital anomalies; most of which are in association with many other systemic abnormalities. Rarely do they occur in isolation. Isolated aglossia, that we presented, is one of the more rare presentations.


METHODS
Our patient is a 6-year-old male child of Asiatic origin from Kashmir (India), who was physically well built and mentally sound and presented with history of impaired speech. The patient had normal velopharangeal competence but absence of tongue which was replaced by a small mucus membrane projection near the floor of oropharangeal isthmus. The patient had no difficulty in feeding or taste sensation but he was unable to pronounce lingual consonants.


CONCLUSIONS
Isolated aglossia is very rare condition explained on the basis of growth failure of lateral lingual swellings and tubercular impar. Such patients do not usually need reconstruction of tongue; as feeding, swallowing and taste sensations are usually intact and speech cannot be improved by reconstruction. However, malocclusion of teeth needs to be taken care of.
Rasool
Altaf
A
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences Srinagar, Kashmir India. altafrsl@gmail.com
Zaroo
Mohammad Inam
MI
Wani
Adil Hafeez
AH
Darzi
Mohammad Ashraf
MA
Bashir
Shiekh Adil
SA
Bijli
Akram Hussain
AH
Rashid
Shafaq
S