Liquid-based cytology in the diagnosis of oral pre-cancer, cancer, and other oral lesions - A narrative review.

Though cytology is one of the most simple and economical diagnostic techniques, several disadvantages set it back as a good diagnostic tool. Liquid-based cytology (LBC) is an advanced diagnostic cytological technique that is being technically modified from conventional cytology to produce better sample preparation to aid in improved diagnosis. It produces a more representative sample of the specimen, with reduced obscuring background material which allows for faster and more reliable screening. Instead of being spread onto a glass slide and fixed, the samples are suspended in a vial of liquid preservative, processed to break the clot and remove the debris. The cell pellet is then placed onto the glass slide to obtain a thin monolayer of cells with a clean background. LBC is found to have several advantages against the conventional techniques. LBC has been researched in cervical cytology and has shown good sensitivity, specificity, improved sampling, and quality of smears. It has been adopted to study several oral lesions and has been found to be a reliable substitute for conventional smear. This article reviews LBC technique and its applications to oral diseases, in specific to oral cancer and pre-cancer.