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Updated: Jun 10, 2026
An Ex vivo Culture System to Study Thyroid Development
Published on: June 6, 2014
In vitro imaging of thyroid tissues using two-photon excited fluorescence and second harmonic generation
Zufang Huang1, Zuanfang Li, Rong Chen
1Key Laboratory of OptoElectronic Science and Technology for Medicine of Ministry of Education, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, P. R. China.
Objective:
To evaluate the feasibility of two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) and second harmonic generation (SHG) imaging to discriminate the normal, nodular goiter and papillary cancerous thyroid tissue.
Materials And Methods:
In total, 45 fresh thyroid specimens (normal, 15; nodular goiter, 12; and papillary cancerous, 18) from 31 subjects were directly imaged by the TPEF and SHG combination method.
Results:
The microstructure of follicle and collagen structure in thyroid tissue were clearly identified, morphologic changes between normal, nodular goiter, and papillary cancerous thyroid tissue were well characterized by using two-photon excitation fluorescence. SHG imaging of the collagen matrix also revealed the differences between normal and abnormal.
Conclusions:
Our preliminary study suggests that the TPEF and SHG combination method might be a useful tool in revealing pathologic changes in thyroid tissue.
