Geographic tongue is a benign oral inflammatory condition characterised by loss of epithelium, particularly of the filiform papillae on the dorsum of the tongue. Geographic tongue is also called benign migratory glossitis because the signs move around.

Siegel MA, et al, eds. Geographic tongue (benign migratory glossitis, erythema migrans). In: Clinician's Guide to Treatment of Common Oral Conditions, 8th edition. American Academy of Oral Medicine; 2018.

First described by Rayer in 1831, geographic tongue is a benign chronic relapsing recurring inflammatory condition of the oral cavity of unknown etiology. It can also be referred to as benign migratory glossitis, erythema migrans, annulus migrans, and a wandering rash of the tongue.

Geographic tongue (GT), also termed benign migratory glossitis, usually presents without symptoms, and due to a lack of reliable evidence researchers can not identify a specific treatment for the condition.

It gets its name because the patches look like a map. Doctors sometimes call it benign migratory glossitis. The patches can come and go and change shape.