Multiphoton excitation fluorescence microscopy of 5-aminolevulinic acid induced fluorescence in experimental gliomas.

Background And Objective: The clinical usefulness of 5-ALA guided detection of tumor tissue has been demonstrated for a number of malignancies. However, current techniques of intraoperative detection of protoporphyrin IX fluorescence in situ do not offer subcellular resolution. Therefore, discrimination of non-specific 5-ALA induced fluorescence remains difficult.