fine needle aspiration cytology of intraocular, orbital and eyelid lesions

background: fine-needle aspiration cytology (fnac) is used for diagnosis of intraocular, orbital and eyelid lesions. in this study we evaluated the outcome and the accuracy of using this technique in diagnosis of benign or malignant behavior of lesions.   methods: fnac was performed on 26 specimens obtained from 25 patients with intraocular, orbital and eyelid tumors and the results were compared with the histopathologic findings in a prospective double-blind observational study.   results: in 22 specimens (85%) a concordant definitive diagnosis was established that comprised five retinoblastoma, four basal cell carcinomas, four inflammations and two dermoid cysts. all specimens were diagnosed as benign or malignant with reasonable concordance. definitive cytologic diagnosis was also made in two rare, if ever reported, conditions namely orbital fibrous histiocytoma and eyelid leishmaniasis.   conclusion: fnac seems to be a simple, rapid, relatively safe and cost-effective technique with considerable diagnostic value in the assessment of selected ophthalmic lesions, especially when sampling and interpretation are performed by experienced personnel. iran j med sci 2006; 31(2): 74-78.   keywords ● cytology ● fna ● intraocular ● orbital ● tumors