[Etiology and treatment of glossodynias].

This study only concerns classical glossodynia with few symptoms and not related to general, tumoral or local syndromes. Lingual pain is caused in the majority of cases by apraxic movements of the tongue. These movements, related to the anguish, can by a regressive process be related to the "searching" lingual movements of the child in psychological distress. The patient suffering from glossodynia (usually a woman) is enclosed in a viscious circle : anguish, apraxic movements, lingual pain, of which the beginning is often contemporary with a cancer in the area. Therapy should be addressed first of all at the distress, by looking very closely at the patient, by examining her very carefully, by absolutely gaining her confidence and by asserting the absence of cancer while admitting the reality of her disease. It should then be addressed to the lingual movements, by immobilization exercises giving rise to consciousness of movements up to then unconscious. Relaxation exercises can be combined. Failure of this therapy : frequent in men, in those who speak a lot (teachers), in hysterics "pithiatics", senile, and those persons whose intellectual evolution is slight. The author emphasizes the therapist's availability ; success in this treatment being related to what he can give of himself to these patients.