Iron Deficiency Oral Signs — NDEB AFK MCQ
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Correct answer: B — Atrophic glossitis (smooth, depapillated tongue) and angular cheilitis
Iron deficiency anaemia causes atrophic glossitis (smooth, red, depapillated tongue due to loss of filiform papillae), angular cheilitis (painful cracks at the mouth corners), pallor of the oral mucosa, and oral burning/soreness. Severe long-standing iron deficiency can lead to Plummer-Vinson (Paterson-Kelly) syndrome — characterised by the triad of iron deficiency anaemia, dysphagia (from oesophageal webs), and atrophic glossitis. This syndrome increases the risk of oesophageal and oral squamous cell carcinoma.
Reference: Neville – Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, 4th ed., 2016