Riga-Fede disease: A case report

Abstract

Riga-Fede disease is a rare condition characterized by traumatic ulceration occurring on the ventral surface of the tongue of neonates and infants. It is most often associated with natal and neonatal teeth in newborns but may also occur in older infants after eruption of primary lower incisors. It is important to diagnose the lesion early and treat it by eliminating the cause of trauma to avoid untoward complications. Here we report a case of a thirty-three day old female baby with Riga-Fede disease associated with a natal tooth. After extraction of the mobile natal tooth, the ulcerative lesion healed satisfactorily in four days.