Attention to the impression cytology in the evaluation of ocular surface tumors

Impression cytology (IC) has been widely used as a method for evaluating the ocular surface and superficial cells layers in the diagnosis and follow-up after treatment of several ocular surface tumors of both epithelial and melanocytic origin. Compared with exfoliative cytology with spatula, IC is less traumatic to the patient's eye. It provides a precise location of the area being studied and allows accurate observation of the cells the way they exist in vivo. The additional advantage of IC is the preservation of limbal stem cells responsible for continuous corneal epithelium renewal. In certain cases, ophthalmologists may prefer interventions less invasive than surgical biopsy such as impression cytology for both initial diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of the treatment for ocular surface lesions. The purpose of this article is to comment the effect for the diagnosis and management of ocular surface tumors and to discuss the requirement for further investigation on the subject. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2016, 52: 721-723) Key words: Eye neoplasms; Cytological techniques; Follow-up studies