17 Mémoire de l'Institut National, 18—, an VI. t. i.
18 Dict. Sci. Méd., t. xxvii.
19 Am. Journ. Med. Sci., vol. vii., 1830, p. 17; vol. xx., 1837, p. 15—both illustrated.
20 Trans. Med.-Chir. Soc. London, 1853, p. 113.
21 Thèse de Montpellier, No. 68, 1865.
22 Diseases of the Tongue, London, 1873.
23 "Surgical Affections of the Tongue," Guy's Hosp. Reports, 1883, p. 102 et seq.
ETIOLOGY.—This affection is usually congenital, at least to a certain extent, and augments with the growth of the child. It has been attributed, on apparently insufficient grounds, to injury received during parturition. It is probably intra-uterine in origin. Though encountered in both sexes, the majority of recorded cases have been in females. In summing up these observations, it appears that the affection often attracts little or no attention until dentition is in progress. The hypertrophy begins to augment rapidly during the second or third year of age, or a year or two later in some cases.
The gradual increase of the congenital deformity during infancy has been attributed to hypernutrition from local irritation produced by habits of sucking on the organ, induced, in some subjects, by forcible efforts at suction from a short nipple. Similarly, the rapid augmentation of volume noted as occurring during the period of dentition or a little later has been attributed to hypernutrition excited by irritation suffered by the protruding organ from the lower row of teeth. Cases commencing at this age have been supposed to be due exclusively to tongue-sucking. In some instances, due to this cause apparently, the deformity is associated with idiocy (Lawson24). Convulsions, epileptic seizures, and whooping cough have been regarded by some writers as occasional causes of the deformity. Indeed, idiocy and cretinism are not infrequent co-associates with the deformity (Parrot25). It has been observed likewise in anencephalous monsters (Brissot, idem).
24 Trans. Clin. Soc. London, vol. v. p. 158.