Mervyn Shear is Emeritus Professor, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, and Emeritus Professor, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town. He is recognised as one of the foremost authorities on cysts of the oral regions.

Paul M. Speight is Professor and Head of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology at the School of Clinical Dentistry, University of Sheffield. He is President, Treasurer and Member of Council of the International Association of Oral Pathologists and Editor-in-Chief of 'Archives of Oral Biology'.