Optical dissection is a novel approach in human anatomy to investigate the fine structure of organs. It is based on the combination of large‐scale tissue clearing methods and mesoscopic imaging tools. It merges the historical gap between microscopic and macroscopic anatomy. As the former, it resolves the cellular and subcellular structure of tissues. Like the latter, it describes organs in their entirety and in their anatomical relationships. It offers a new promising approach in human anatomy and biomedical research.

It enables new descriptions of human anatomy. For instance, tissue structures that extend beyond the volume of thin sections, such as blood vessels, nerves, glands, ligaments, or any elongated component can now be better characterized. Nonhomogeneous tissues can be more reliably sampled. Scarce components have better chances of being detected. In addition, mesoscopic imaging enables multimodal and multiscale studies linking anatomical and histological investigations with molecular and cellular approaches on the one hand, and with medical imaging on the other hand. This method can also be extended to the study of pathological tissues, open avenues in the understanding of pathophysiological processes and in clinical pathology.

Optical dissection is useful in research. It enables comparative studies between animal systems models and human samples that help improve the translational value of basic research. We are using it combined with dissection to investigate brain‐body interactions. It helps us characterize visceral sensory systems in peripheral viscera and brain neural circuits interoceptive neural circuits in human tissues. In enables similar investigations in preclinical models, which helps in developing experimental models with better translational value. It permits studying pathological human specimens that give hints into the pathophysiological mechanisms.

This review aims at giving physicians and biomedical scientists without specialized knowledge of mesoscopic imaging a practical understanding of this methodology.