Topical anesthesia are being widely used in clinical diagnostic or therapeutic fields such as ophthalmology, ENT, dermatology, urology. It is defined as superficial loss of sensation in mucous membranes or skin, produced by direct application of penetrating local anesthetics. Topical anesthesia has the advantages of simple performance, high safety, quick recovery, which can effectively improve patient's satisfaction. In recent years, more and more attention has been paid to the concept of comfortable diagnosis and treatment. The new drugs and application methods of topical anesthesia are emerging constantly, special attention must be paid to their pharmacological characteristics and possible adverse reactions when using them. This article reviews the research progress of topical anesthesia in clinical application in order to provide reference for clinical practice.