Unilateral cyanosis on tongue as an unusual appearance in emergency department: a case report

Seyed Reza Habibzadeh,Mahdi Foroughian,Saeed Barazandehpour,Esmaeal Rayat Dost

doi:10.34172/jept.2020.07

Abstract

Introduction: Unilateral and bilateral tongue cyanosis usually occurs due to the Raynaud syndrome and in the underlying severe types of vasculitis and rheumatology.Case Presentation: The present study was conducted on a 54-year-old woman who referred to the emergency department with complaints of sudden and painless discoloration of the left half of the tongue. The patient had no history of disease other than diabetes controlled with glibenclamide. Clinical examination of the head and neck revealed evidence of unilateral cyanosis in the left half of the tongue without pain, whose discoloration did not improve with warming of the tongue.Conclusion: Cyanosis in the emergency department can be managed appropriately by considering some parameters including history taking, history of cyanosis occurrence, history of cardiopulmonary disease, cold sensitivity and history of rheumatologic diseases, presence or absence of nail clubbing, arterial blood oxygen saturation and arterial blood gas test results. These parameters can be effective in designing a treatment regimen, while differentiating the causes of central from peripheral cyanosis.

Highlights

IntroductionCyanosis refers to the abnormal blue discoloration of the body mucous membranes caused by an increase in the level of deoxygenated hemoglobin
Unilateral and bilateral tongue cyanosis usually occurs due to the Raynaud syndrome and in the underlying severe types of vasculitis and rheumatology
Case Presentation The patient is a 54-year-old woman who referred to the emergency department with complaints of sudden and painless discoloration of the left half of the tongue

Summary

Introduction

Cyanosis refers to the abnormal blue discoloration of the body mucous membranes caused by an increase in the level of deoxygenated hemoglobin. Case Presentation The patient is a 54-year-old woman who referred to the emergency department with complaints of sudden and painless discoloration of the left half of the tongue. She had a full consciousness and acceptable verbal response, with vital signs on admission as follows: Blood pressure (BP): 140/80 mm Hg, heart rate (HR): 85/min (reg), respiratory rate (RR): 14/min, temperature (T): 37°C (axillary), saturation of peripheral oxygen (Spo2): 99%.

Discussion

Conclusion