Syphilitic glossitis or sclerosis is seen in the central part of the tongue and there exist two varieties:  one superficial, the other deep, reaching the muscle.  The superficial type presents as a glassy or glossed tongue with hard, depapilated red and white islets, that sometimes fissurate or have sulci running through and generally are accompanied by leukoplakia-type plaques.  It is a pre-cancerous lesion.

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