An oval patch located in the midline of the tongue is indicative of which diagnosis?

The presence of an oval patch located in the midline of the tongue is characteristic of median rhomboid glossitis. This condition is typically associated with a chronic fungal infection, specifically Candida albicans, and presents as a smooth, red, and atrophic area that lacks the normal surface papillae of the tongue. It is often found in the midline, near the junction of the anterior two-thirds and posterior one-third of the tongue.

Median rhomboid glossitis can be asymptomatic and may go unnoticed unless specifically examined. Understanding this condition is crucial for distinguishing it from other potential diagnoses that could also present in oral lesions but display different characteristics or locations on the tongue. For instance, fibrous dysplasia typically presents as bone lesions rather than isolated patches on the tongue, primary herpetic stomatitis usually appears as vesicles and ulcerations, and Paget's disease primarily affects the bones and does not present as an oval patch on the tongue.