Conjunctival cytology is an important diagnostic method for ocular superficial diseases. There are several techniques to collect cells, including impression, exfoliation and fine needle aspiration. These techniques have shown individual variations depending on method and instrument used on the collection process. Techniques with instruments that cause low damage and decrease iatrogenic damage risks to the eyes, providing cellular quantity and quality, are wanted. Exfoliative cytology techniques are frequently used in human and veterinary medicine. Among the methods used for exfoliation, cytobrush provides better results on many parameters, including cell quality. The use of conjunctival exfoliation cytology using cytobrush (brush usually used for cervix cytology) was investigated. The aim was to determine if this technique would provide an adequate number and quality of conjunctival third eyelid cells of cats; to compare these samples with those collected by the same way from conjunctival area and to determine a cytologic pattern of this region. This comparison would provide information about technique security, possible damage risks and collected cells characteristics. Cats were evaluated through physical and routine ophthalmic exam. Fifty domestic cats, males (58%) and females (42%), of any breed were accepted. In the study were included only animals free of ocular and systemic changes. Cytobrush showed an easy and usefulness instrument, that provides satisfactory amount of cells with preserved morphology. Compared to palpebral conjunctiva, palpebral surface of nictitating membrane showed a most adequate site to cytological sample collect, greater facility of technical perform and smaller possibility of iatrogenic damage. In respect to quality and quantity of cells there was no significant difference between collect sites. It was possible to observe epithelial cells of conjunctiva from different stratum with predominance of intermediate cells and absence of goblet cells.
Cytology; conjunctiva; cats; cytobrush
