Parathyroid Gland Fluorescence Imaging

The ability to identify parathyroid glands (PGs) is a fundamental component of successful thyroid and parathyroid surgery. Historically, the ability to recognize, preserve, and then assess the viability of the PGs relied fully on the skill and judgment of the surgeon. Recently, technologies have emerged that appear to provide surgeons with an intraoperative tool to aid in these steps of surgery. These technologies, which utilize near-infrared imaging with endogenous PG autofluorescence or with the aid of indocyanine green (ICG), are early in their development. While the precise role of these technologies in clinical care has yet to be determined, it does appear that in the future, they will become an essential component of both thyroid and parathyroid surgeries.