Medical Must-See: TB treatment gets hairy, but doctors have the cause licked
The condition was a rare reaction to an antibacterial drug.
This patient with multidrug-resistant TB had a shock side effect from her treatment: a black hairy tongue.
The patient, 24, was prescribed linezolid 600mg daily as part of a longer treatment regimen while in a refugee camp in Nepal.
After 25 days, she presented with a black carpet-like texture on her tongue that was distressing her.
However, she reported no burning sensation, itching, pain, discharge or altered taste. She denied smoking, using illicit drugs or drinking tea, coffee or alcohol.
