Risk factors

Studies of factors that may be associated with an increased risk of geographic tongue have produced mixed results. Factors that are likely associated with an increased risk include:

• Family history. Some people with geographic tongue have a family history of the disorder, so inherited genetic factors may increase risk.
• Fissured tongue. People with geographic tongue often have another disorder called fissured tongue, which has the appearance of deep grooves (fissures) on the surface of the tongue.