Congenital melanotic macules of the tongue. A case report and brief review of the literature.

Congenital melanotic macules of the tongue (CMMT) are a rare and benign condition that is probably underestimated. We report the case of an African infant with multiple congenital hyperpigmented macules of the tongue. To avoid a difficult-to-perform procedure such as a tongue biopsy, focused clinical monitoring was performed every 3 months for 30 months to detect significant changes. A clinical diagnosis of CMMT was made in the absence of concomitant systemic diseases using the clinical findings, the location on the tongue, the negative family history for melanoma, and the absence of drugs and toxic exposure. Clinical follow-up may be sufficient to monitor CMMT rather than performing a tongue biopsy.