John M. Wright

As our knowledge of disease improves, its classification continually evolves. The last WHO classification of odontogenic tumors was 9 years ago and it is time for revision. We offer the following critique as a constructive, thought provoking challenge to those chosen to provide contemporary insight into the next WHO classification of odontogenic cysts, tumors, and allied conditions.

Using saliva for disease diagnostics and health surveillance is a promising approach as collecting saliva is relatively easy and non‐invasive. Over the past two decades, using salivary biomarkers specifically for early cancer detection has attracted much research interest, especially for cancers occurring in the oral cavity and oropharynx, for which the five‐year survival rate (62%) is still one of the lowest among all major human cancers. More than 90% of oral cancers are oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and the standard method for detection is through a comprehensive clinical examination by oral healthcare professionals. Despite the fact that the oral cavity is easily accessible, most OSCCs are not diagnosed until an advanced stage, which is believed to be the major reason for the low survival rate, and points to the urgent need for clinical diagnostic aids for early detection of OSCC. Thus, much research effort has been dedicated to investigating potential salivary biomarkers for OSCC, and more than 100 such biomarkers have been reported in the literature. However, some important issues and challenges have emerged that require solutions and further research in order to find reliable OSCC salivary biomarkers for clinical use. This review article provides an up‐to‐date list of potential OSCC salivary biomarkers reported as of the fall of 2013, and discusses those emerging issues. By raising the awareness of these issues on the part of both researchers and clinicians, it is hoped that reliable, specific and sensitive salivary biomarkers may be found soon—and not only biomarkers for early OSCC detection but also for detecting other types of cancers or even for monitoring non‐cancerous disease activity.

Erythema multiforme is primarily considered a disease of the skin. Diagnosis tends to be centered on dermatologic lesions of the extremities, with mouth ulcers regarded as a secondary finding. The purpose of this paper was to report a case of an 8-year-old male diagnosed with erythema multiforme limited to the oral cavity. The patient was referred to Texas A&M Health Science Center's Baylor College of Dentistry for biopsy of recurrent mouth ulcers following an outbreak of a fever blister. Previous hospitalization occurred twice due to severe mouth ulcers causing dehydration and loss of nutrition. He was treated with 10 mg of prednisone twice daily and was able to eat and drink without pain within 48 hours. Nearly all lesions healed within 5 days of therapy. Although rare, erythema multiforme should always be considered in the differential diagnosis in the event of acute onset stomatitis.