Publication Name	World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology
Manuscript ID	114339
Country	Italy

Category	Surgery
Manuscript Type	Field of Vision
Article Title	Clinical applications of indocyanine green fluorescence for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma
Manuscript Source	Invited Manuscript
All Author List	Gaetano Piccolo, Matteo Barabino, Laura Benuzzi, Giampaolo Formisano and Paolo Pietro Bianchi
Funding Agency and Grant Number
Corresponding Author	Gaetano Piccolo, Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, San Paolo Hospital, Via Antonio di Rudinì 8, Milan 20142, Lombardy, Italy. gpiccolo1983@gmail.com
Key Words	Indocyanine green fluorescence; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Minimally invasive liver resection; Laparoscopic thermal ablation; Fluorescence patterns; Tumour characteristics
Core Tip	We report the clinical application of indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In minimally invasive surgery, ICG is used for precise delineation of hepatic segments during anatomical liver resection. This innovative technique can also serve as a powerful tool for detecting superficial HCC in patients with macronodular cirrhosis through intravenous ICG injection prior to surgery. In some cases, ICG can also be employed to assess tumor remnants during laparoscopic thermal ablation. A proven correlation exists between ICG fluorescence patterns and tumor differentiation. Strong and homogeneous fluorescence is typical of well-differentiated HCC, while moderately differentiated HCC exhibits partial fluorescence, and poorly differentiated HCC is characterized by rim-type fluorescence. The relationship between ICG fluorescence patterns and microinvasive components is of particular interest, such as vascular microinfiltration of the portal or hepatic veins, bile duct infiltration, and the presence of satellite nodules. Finally, a new frontier in ICG fluorescence lies in its ability to identify lymphatic drainage pathways and sentinel lymph nodes during surgery, although further research is needed to optimize its application.
Citation	Piccolo G, Barabino M, Benuzzi L, Formisano G, Bianchi PP. Clinical applications of indocyanine green fluorescence for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2025; In press

Received	2025-09-17 06:19
Peer-Review Started	2025-09-17 06:20
First Decision by Editorial Office Director	2025-10-18 03:10
Return for Revision	2025-10-19 06:48
Revised	2025-10-31 18:07
Publication Fee Transferred
Second Decision by Editor	2025-12-16 02:39
Second Decision by Editor-in-Chief
Final Decision by Editorial Office Director	2025-12-16 03:16
Articles in Press	2025-12-16 03:16
Edit the Manuscript by Language Editor
Typeset the Manuscript

ISSN	1948-5204 (online)
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