AbstractSixty‐two cases of orbital and periorbital palpable neoplasms were analyzed cytologically. The material was obtained by our technique of simply introducing a fine injection needle in the tumor mass without aspiration. Fifty‐six of these tumors had a subsequent histologic diagnosis by surgical procedure or biopsy. Forty‐nine of the 56 cytologic diagnoses (87%) were concordant with the histologic findings with regard to malignancy and its variety. In three other cases the diagnosis of malignancy was only achieved by surgical procedure or biopsy (5%). In two cases, there were false‐malignant results (4%), one corresponding to a meningioma and the other related to a reactive lymphoid hyperplasia. There was one false‐benign (2%) result in a case of non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma. In one patient, the cytologic material was insufficient for diagnosis (2%). In six other cases, the initial cytologic examination was ultimately confirmed either by biochemical studies or by biopsies of nodal metastases. No orbital hemorrhage was observed after fine‐needle sampling. This outpatient technique is highly accurate and permits diagnosis in a few minutes. Diagn Cytopathol