Evaluation and Treatment of Oral Soft Tissue Diseases

This study offers evaluation and treatment of patients with diseases of the mouth or systemic diseases that involve the mouth. The protocol is not designed to test new treatments; rather, patients will receive current standard of care treatments. The purposes of the study are: 1) to allow NIDCR's Gene Therapy and Therapeutics Branch staff to gain more knowledge about oral soft tissue diseases and possibly identify new avenues of research in this area; and 2) to establish a pool of patients who may be eligible for new studies as they are developed. (Participants in this protocol will not be required to join a new study; the decision will be voluntary.)

Patients of any age with oral diseases or systemic diseases involving the mouth may be eligible for this study. Women of childbearing potential and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding will only have tests and procedures and receive medications that pose no greater than a minimal risk to the fetus.

Participants will have a comprehensive dental and medical examination, including a physical examination of the head and neck. Additional tests and procedures that may be required for diagnosis and to guide treatment include the following:

• Blood and urine tests - for routine laboratory studies, assessment of kidney and liver function, and detection of viruses, fungi, bacteria or parasites
• Electrocardiogram - to record the electrical activity of the heart
• Biopsies - to examine tissue under the microscope. The method and number of biopsies depends on the individual's specific condition and the tissue to be removed. For all biopsies a local anesthetic (lidocaine with or without epinephrine) is injected at the biopsy site. A punch biopsy uses a small sharp cookie-cutter instrument to remove a small (about 1/10- to 1/5-inch) piece of skin. An excisional biopsy uses a small surgical knife or scalpel to remove a piece of tissue, usually requiring some stitches to close the wound.
• Diagnostic imaging - X-rays, photographs, or other tests as needed for diagnosis

Treatments include tablets, injections and topically applied medications. All preparations are approved by the Food and Drug Administration and are commercially available. Patient follow-up may vary from one visit to intermittent visits over a number of years, depending on the patient's condition.