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What Is Plica Fimbriata? Tiny Mucous Membrane Fringes Beneath Your Tongue

Plica fimbriata is the name for the small folds in the membrane on the underside of your tongue. Your frenulum and the folds usually run parallel to one another and on each side of it. The tissue that links your tongue to the floor of your mouth is called the frenulum.

Author:Katharine Tate
Reviewer:Karan Emery
Oct 06, 202323K Shares435.2K Views
Plica fimbriatais the name for the small folds in the membrane on the underside of your tongue.
Your frenulum and the folds usually run parallel to one another and on each side of it.
The tissue that links your tongue to the floor of your mouth is called the frenulum.
Some people develop tiny, skin-tag-like growths along their plica fimbriata.
A close up view of an open mouth to show plica fimbriata; Digital illustration of plica fimbriata
A close up view of an open mouth to show plica fimbriata; Digital illustration of plica fimbriata
You might be thinking, what are skin tags? So, here is a look.

Skin Tags

If you've ever seen a little, painless flesh bulge on your body that's about the same color as the surrounding skin or slightly darker, you might have a skin tag.
Skin tags are tiny, harmless skin growths.
They are benign and frequently develop in the following locations:
  • Neck
  • Armpits
  • Eyelids

Causes

Friction is thought to be the primary source of skin tags, which are tiny, loose fleshy growths that can develop on regions where skin constantly rubs up against skin.
It has been discovered that skin tags are more likely to grow in people who are older and more obese.
Additionally, the formation of skin tags is associated with significant increases in hormone levels.
Small folds in the plica fimbriata, which is a natural part of the tongue, can sometimes be confused for skin tags.
Other times, it may be a wart instead of a true tag.
Even though these cases are much less common than others, mouth cancer is the only major thing that could cause a skin tag on the tongue.
The likelihood that one person will get a tongue skin tag is influenced by a variety of variables.
According to studies, older people tend to have them more frequently than younger people, and overweight people are more likely to have them than normal-weight or skinny people.
Some people are more likely to get skin tags than others, and this is partly because of their genes.
Most of the time, skin tags that form on the tongue aren't as common as those that form on the neck or other common places.
This could be because tongue tags aren't as noticeable as those that form in other places.

Skin Tags Vs. Plica Fimbriata Vs. Warts

A skin tag is often mistaken for a plica fimbriata, which is a small fold in the mucous membrane on the back of the tongue.
When the membrane extends a small fold slightly outward, it can make a bump that looks like a skin tag on the tongue.
These lumps are normal and won't go away on their own.
Although it's rare, human papillomavirus exposure can cause warts to appear on the tongue (HPV).
These pimples, which resemble tongue skin tags but are different from plica fimbriata folds in large part due to their high contagiousness, might also be mistaken for skin tags.
Warts thrive in the warm, moist environment of the mouth, so people who suspect they have them in the mouth should get treatment right away and avoid spreading the virus to others.
Warts can be removed by freezing, cauterizing, or cutting.
A patient should get the growth examined by a physician if it is a tongue skin tag that is either reddish or yellowish in color and only affects one side of the mouth.
A man showing his Plica Fimbriata on his tongue
A man showing his Plica Fimbriata on his tongue
Oral cancer may be indicated by tags that fit the definition yet are painless.
A tongue skin tag biopsy should be done to find out if the growth is malignant.
Patients should get therapy right away if it is.
Now, coming back to plica fimbriata.
If everything is working as it should, you wouldn't normally worry about the underside of your tongue.
But suppose you woke up one morning and found that your tongue's folds were extremely irritated when you were eating breakfast.
Additionally, you can see that saliva is gathering there.
You should be worried about what might be happening right now.
The tongue and salivary glands are made up of many parts, such as the plica fimbriata, which are these tiny folds.

What Bodies Are Found Below The Tongue?

On the bottom of your tongue, there is a raised crest of mucous membrane called the plica fimbriata.
To assist you in pinpointing the precise placement of these folds in your mouth, here is a brief anatomy lesson.
The floor of the mouth, a horseshoe-shaped region of tissue, is located beneath your tongue.
This flat area of soft tissue is connected to the underside of the tongue by the lingual frenulum, a clear tissue fold that rises up.
The two elevated folds that make up the plica fimbriata are situated on either side of the point where the lingual frenulum attaches to the tongue.

Salivary Function And Plica Fimbriata

Your mouth's salivary gland system includes the plica fimbriata.
The sublingual and submandibular ducts carry saliva made near the floor of the mouth to the area under the tongue where it drains out.
These ducts open in the plica fimbriata, which is one area where saliva is released into the mouth.

Why Does Plica Fimbriata Occur?

Depending on your oral health, the salivary gland and duct system behind your tongue could become irritated.
If a calcified substance, sometimes called a salivary stone, gets stuck in a salivary gland, this can lead to plica fimbriata.
Black and white illustration of plica fimbriata; A close up view of plica fimbriata on a tongue
Black and white illustration of plica fimbriata; A close up view of plica fimbriata on a tongue

Plica Fimbriata Sore/Plica Fimbriata Swollen

If you begin to experience any discomfort, redness, swelling, or oozing near your plica fimbriata, call your doctor right away.

Plica Fimbriata Treatment

A round of antibiotics usually helps to clear up infections.
In other situations, all you might need to do to keep the region clean is use an antiseptic mouthwash for a few days.
You should see your doctor or a dentist right away if you suspect you have a salivary stone.
A computer tomography scan or an ultrasound can be used to diagnose sialolithiasis.
This ailment is frequently relieved by administering moist heat and massaging the salivary gland.
Ibuprofen and other anti-inflammatory drugs can also assist in lessening the pain and swelling brought on by salivary stones.
If these first-line treatments are unable to make the disease better, you could need surgery.
If the stone is close to the surface, your doctor or dentist might be able to remove it in a brief office operation.
Making a tiny incision and applying local anesthesia to the area would be required.
If the stone is stuck deep in the tissue, your doctor may need to do a procedure called salivary sialendoscopy.
To do this, the stone must be taken out with a special tool while the duct is viewed through a small scope.
Patients typically make a full recovery with no future problems.

Plica fimbriata Top #5 Facts

HPV Vs. Plica Fimbriata

The little raised bumps on the underside of your tongue are known as plica fimbriata.
They can be small or huge, and occasionally they can hurt or get caught in your teeth.
They, like skin tags, cannot cause cancer or endanger your dental health or wellbeing.
The frenulum, the tissue that joins your tongue to your mouth, may have these tiny lumps close to it.
They could be painful, red, and swollen if they develop an infection but they are not due to HPV virus.
So, what is HPV virus?
An example of a sexually transmitted disease is the human papillomavirus (HPV).
HPV can impact your mouth and throat, despite the fact that most people only link it with the private parts.
Oral s*x is typically to blame for this.
Although HPV may contribute to the growth of skin tags, HPV lesions in the mouth have a different appearance.
The most prevalent STD, HPV, causes many people to experience no symptoms.
If you do get HPV symptoms, they won't look like skin tags or Plica Fimbriata.
Warts, sores, or enlarged tonsils could be visible.

People Also Ask

Where Is The Plica Fimbriata?

The plica fimbriata is at the underside of your tongue and is part of your mouth's salivary gland system. The salivary glands create saliva towards the bottom of the mouth, which drains beneath the tongue via the sublingual and submandibular ducts. One site where these ducts open to release saliva in the mouth is the plica fimbriata.

What Does It Mean If You Have Tentacles Under Your Tongue?

They could be plica fimbriata. Plica fimbriata are tiny mucous membrane fringes/tentacles. They can be discovered running parallel to the lingual frenulum on either side. These fringes could have delicate extensions growing from them. These extensions may resemble skin tags, but they are perfectly normal and safe.

How Do I Get Rid Of Plica Fimbriata?

Most infections are treated with antibiotics. In other circumstances, using an antiseptic mouthwash for a few days may suffice to keep the area clean.

Conclusion

Knowing more about these plica fimbriata structures under your tongue can give you the confidence to talk to your dentist about any problems that may arise.
So, this article will be helpful for you in case you suffer from these structures.
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Katharine Tate

Katharine Tate

Author
Karan Emery

Karan Emery

Reviewer
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