SUMMARY

The use of toluidine blue as a nuclear stain has been reported in several specialties to help detect and treat surgically tumors. We modified the technique and evaluated it as a test to differentiate conjunctival lesions. Forty-two patients with conjunctival lesions were evaluated by biomicroscopy, and had their conjunctiva stained by toluidine blue 1% aquous solution. The lesion was evaluated again and then surgically removed. The specimen were submitted to pathological exam. From the 42 patients, 40 (95%) matched and 2 false positive results were found. All malignancy results from the toluidine blue test were confirmed by histopathologic exam. Statistical analysis showed a sensitivity of 100%, a specificity of 94%, a positive predictive value of 82%, a negative predictive value of 100% and a likelyhood ratio of 100%, with a statistical significance by the McNemar test (p=.25 ou 25%). This is a simple, unexpensive and inoquous method that help in the detection and characterization of conjunctival tumors.