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Objective:  Even though diagnostic oral exfoliative cytology is a useful, economical and practical tool in the diagnosis of oral dysplasia and carcinoma, it is not yet extensively used. The results of conventional exfoliative and liquid‐based diagnostic cytology in oral potentially malignant lesions (PML) are herein reported and compared with the histological diagnosis.

Methods:  Either conventional (89) or liquid‐based (384) exfoliative cytology was used for the diagnosis of oral dysplasia/carcinoma in 473 subjects and the results were compared with scalpel biopsy histology. Cells were collected using a Cytobrush device for conventional smears and with a dermatological curette for the liquid‐based cytology. The ‘curette technique’ also allowed for the collection of ‘accidental’ tissue fragments, utilized as microbiopsies.

Results:  Histological diagnosis was squamous carcinoma in 96 of 473 cases, high‐grade …