Acute exacerbation of macroglossia leading to necrosis of the anterior third of the tongue

Summary Macroglossia is defined as an enlarged tongue that protrudes beyond the teeth or the alveolar ridge in the resting position. Macroglossia may be classified into generalised and localised based on the extent of tongue involvement. Each of these groups can be subdivided into congenital, inflammatory, traumatic, metabolic and neoplastic lesions [Myer III CM, Hotaling AJ, Reilly JS. The diagnosis and treatment of macroglossia in children. Ear Nose Throat J 1986; 65 :444–8]. The congenital causes are vascular anomalies such as haemangioma and lymphovenous malformations. We report the case of a large lymphovenous malformation of the tongue in a 17 month old child who developed an acute exacerbation of macroglossia following trauma. This eventually led to necrosis of the anterior third of his tongue requiring a partial glossectomy.