Purpose: To evaluate technologies and techniques available for the diagnosis of ocular surface tumors.
Methods: A review of the literature from 1947 to 2017, through the PubMed Database, was conducted in order to evaluate current diagnostic methods for ocular surface tumors.
Results: Ocular surface squamous neoplasia, conjunctival melanoma, and conjunctival lymphoma are the three most common ocular surface malignancies. Technologies available to assist with diagnosis of these conditions, in addition to full thickness biopsy, include vital dyes, aspiration and impression cytology, in vivo confocal microscopy, ultrasound biomicroscopy, genetic testing, and anterior segment optical coherence tomography.
Conclusions: Histology remains the gold standard for diagnosis for all 3 of these malignancies. However, multiple diagnostic techniques are available to assist in making preliminary and early diagnoses, in differentiating between similar-appearing lesions, and in some cases, avoiding biopsy prior to initiating treatment. As imaging and technology continue to evolve, these adjunctive techniques will likely continue to play a greater role in clinical practice.