Near‐infrared Fourier transform Raman spectroscopic study of human brain tissues and tumours

Abstract Non‐destructive examination of human brain tissues and several kinds of brain tumours using near‐infrared (1064 nm) excited Fourier transform (NIR‐FT) Raman spectroscopy is reported. The spectra from normal but edematous grey and white matter were similar to those of normal rat grey and white matter reported previously. The brain tumours investigated (glioma grade II and III, two acoustic neurinomas and central neurocytoma) gave Raman spectra essentially the same as to that of grey matter. Histological examination of glioma grade III revealed extracellular PAS‐positive materials, which have a band at 856 cm −1 due to polysaccharides. One of the neurinoma contained a carotenoid which exhibited two resonance Raman peaks at 1157 and 1524 cm −1 ; another neurinoma did not contain the carotenoid. The appearance of a strong Raman peak at 960 cm −1 suggested that the central neurocytoma of choroid plexus was calcified.