Raman opportunities in the field of pathological calcifications

Abstract

The aim of this contribution is to present to the community the very unique diagnostic capabilities of Raman spectroscopy in the context of pathological calcifications. By offering the clinician the opportunity to determine within seconds the chemical composition of micron-sized crystallites, possibly in vivo, Raman analyses find no equivalent among the large set of analytical tools available. After a brief recap of some peculiar aspects of this spectrometry and a presentation of the latest instrumental developments, this review gathers the most recent literature on the use of Raman to diagnose various lithiases or microcrystalline pathologies.

Keywords

• Raman
• Medical application
• Lithiasis
• Breast
• Kidney
• <i>In vivo</i>