Near-infrared Fluorescence With Indocyanine Green for Identification of Sentinels and Parathyroids During Thyroidectomy

Indocyanine green (ICG) is a water-soluble organic dye that is cleared totally through the hepatobiliary system. It has a half-life of 3-4 mins, which allows repeated applications. Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging with indocyanine green (ICG) imaging has been recently introduced, and has been suggested as a useful tool for the identification and preservation of the parathyroid glands (PGs) during total thyroidectomy (TT). ICG can also be used for sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy to predict the micrometastases in central lymph nodes (CLN) in thyroid carcinoma, and central lymph node dissection can reduce local recurrence.