Prof. Dr. John M. Wright
Regents Professor of Oral Pathology
Prof. John M. Wright is a Regents Professor in the Department of Diagnostic Sciences at Texas A&M University College of Dentistry, Dallas, Texas. He is an oral pathologist and a Diplomate of both the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and the American Board of Oral Medicine.
He received his dental degree from West Virginia University and completed his oral pathology training at Indiana University. Prof. Wright has made extensive contributions to the scientific literature, with over 200 peer-reviewed publications, 32 book chapters, and five textbooks. He is a past President of the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, and the International Association of Oral Pathologists.
Prof. Wright served as a contributing author to the last two WHO classifications of tumors of the oral region and is a co-editor of the AFIP fascicle series on head and neck pathology. He has delivered more than 400 invited lectures at state, national, and international levels and is widely recognized for his lasting impact on oral and maxillofacial pathology education and classification.
All Sessions by Prof. Dr. John M. Wright
keynote - The evolution of “lichenoid mucositis” and its clinical spectrum
For years, the histologic features of lichen planus (LP) were considered sensitive and specific, and the diagnosis of lichen planus was frequently rendered on histologic features alone. Over time, other conditions were recognized to have overlapping histologic features, and this pattern of immune reaction became known as lichenoid mucositis, which encompassed LP and its mimics. While there are some histologic features that allow separation of LP from some of its mimics, this is not always possible for all lesions. In 2016, the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology published a position paper on this dilemma and cautioned against making a definite diagnosis of LP on histologic features alone, but rather the definitive diagnosis should be based on clinicopathologic correlation. You may or may not agree. This keynote address will review lichen planus and its mimics and provide a framework for dealing with lesions that histologically show lichenoid mucositis and its diagnostic pitfalls.