Stress as worsening of the signs and symptoms of the geographic tongue during the COVID-19 pandemic: a pilot study.

Background: Geographic Tongue (GT) is a benign inflammatory disorder of unknown etiology, which is characterized by the loss of epithelium due to the atrophy of filiform papillae. It usually occurs on the dorsum of the tongue and may extend to its lateral edges. It appears as an erythematous area surrounded by whitish and slightly elevated margins.