Thank you both for your prompt and informative replies. These message boards are certainly a godsend!
I live in Prague as an expat (I am from Australia). I mention this because I saw my local Czech GP who dismissed the bumps as nothing sinister but also said to mention my findings to my dentist "the next time I visit". Due to my previous medical history and experience with dismissive GPs (my Hodgkins was diagnosed at Stage 4B even though I was complaining about symptoms for the previous 6 months!!), I decided to see a local dentist the same day, who refererred me to a Czech oral surgeon. The OS spoke very little English but did say he wanted to do a biopsy. I must note that at this stage (and I know this will sound strange) but the dentist, surgeon AND myself did not check the other side of my tongue. I only showed the lumps on one side. It was not until I went home and re-examined by tongue that I noticed that I had similar anatomy on the other side. I have booked an appointment at a private London hospital next Friday to do the biopsy (I feel more comfortable being able to communicate to my doctors !!). The Dr in London has not seen me at all so it will be his decision on whether or not he feels that a biopsy is warranted. I suspect he will err on the side of caution given my previous history and go ahead with the biopsy.
Just for clarification, the lumps are NOT on the top of my tongue. They are on the sides right at the back. They are irregular shaped with some protruding out like a branch of a tree and the others like a round cauliflower which are pink but have defined borders and harder than the skin of the tongue.
I have found something on the internet that somewhat resembles what I have.
http://www.dentalmedsoft.com/OralPathBookdemo/OralPathText/Chapter%201.htmFigure1.40 (described as reactive foliate papillae) is an example of the "tree like structure I mentioned above" and Figure 1.38 with the GREEN arrow is the cauliflower looking lesion (described in the article as a prominent foliate papilla (tonsillar tissue)). Hopefully, this is what I have.
Thanks again and feel free to share further thoughts on the extra information.
Sami
