Abstract
Objectives : The aim of this study was to evaluate the distribution of tongue color and the correlation of the tongue colors with clinical laboratory parameters. Methods : Statistical analysis on the frequency of each tongue color and the results of the clinical laboratory parameters in each tongue color group. Results : Tongue colors that appeared most frequently were 702c, 695c, 493c, 694c, 701c, 500c, 7432c, 7431c, 7634c, 7419c in that order. Following them, 494c and 507c were rarer colors, and 501c, 673c, 687c, 693c, 696c, 703c, 7418c were equally rarest colors. Among each tongue color group, a significant difference was found in the result of complete blood cell count (CBC). The level of red blood cell (RBC) of 7432c group was significantly higher than that of the other groups except 694c group. The level of hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Hct) of 7432c group were significantly higher than those of all the other groups. The level of RBC of 7431c group was lowest and significantly different from 694c, 7432c group. In results of the other tests were not significantly different. However the level of total cholesterol was higher in 695c, 694c, 500c group, and the level of triglyceride was higher in 500c, 7431c, 694c group. Those four colors have a low chroma and 7431c, 695c take blue violet color. Conclusions : The tongue color is distributed throughout following colors by order of frequency: 702c, 695c, 493c, 694c, 701c, 500c, 7432c, 7431c, 7634c, 7419c, 708c, 494c, 507c, 501c, 673c, 687c, 693c, 696c, 703c, 7418c. Some parameters of CBC has a significant correlation with some tongue colors. Other results including lipid profile, renal function test, and liver function test had no significant difference according to tongue color. However, the colors which have low chroma or take blue violet color tented to be higher in the levels of total cholesterol and triglyceride.
