Parathyroid glands are important endocrine organs for regulation of the calcium and phosphorus metabolism, attached to the posterior side of both left and right lobes of the thyroid gland, or imbedded within the thyroid gland. Parathyroid injury can lead to a series of symptoms mainly associated with hypoparathyroidism, which seriously affect the patients’ quality of life. Therefore, during surgery of the neck such as thyroidectomy, the intraoperative localization of the parathyroid glands is extremely important, which can effectively avoid  parathyroid gland injury. Here, the authors mainly address the progress of intraoperative localization of the parathyroid glands in five aspects that include the intraoperative rapid detection of parathyroid hormone, near-infrared fluorescence imaging, nanocarbon negative contrast imaging, 99mTc-methoxyisobutyl isonitrile imaging and optical coherence tomography, so as to provide help for better intraoperative protection of the parathyroid glands.