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A comprehensive review of systemic disorders for the oral and maxillofacial surgeon! Articles will focus on Hodgkin's and Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, HIV and AIDS, Wegener's granulomatosis, Sjogren's syndrome, pemphigus and para-neoplastic pemphigus, tuberculosis, leukemia, gastrointestinal illnesses and their effects on the oral cavity, head and neck lesions associated with distant carcinomas, systemic lupus erythematosus and discoid lupus, and much more! Preface: What does it mean to be a doctor? In one sense, it means being a teacher. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with such a fine group of oral and maxillofacial surgeons, and the opportunity to be Guest Editor of the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinics, as a means to reach out to our surgical community to fulfill that sense of being a teacher. In another sense, being a doctor means we are detectives. I do not mean to conjure up images of our television counterparts, but we do utilize multiple avenues and approaches to solve patients' problems if we can. Some problems are most certainly easier to solve than others. My vision for this issue was for it to be a review of systemic illnesses that have head and neck manifestations. There are numerous systemic illnesses that pose diagnostic and treatment challenges, for which we may be the first line of detection. Many systemic illnesses are undergoing revisions in prior treatment regimens as a new understanding of their pathophysiology and new medications and surgical treatments arise. It is my sincere hope that the articles in this issue will provide you with head and neck signs and symptoms and a review of the current medical treatment of some of these disorders.
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