Since the first studies of the nervous system by the Nobel laureates Camillo Golgi and Santiago Ramon y Cajal using simple dyes and conventional light microscopes, microscopy has come a long way to the most recent techniques that make it possible to perform images in live cells and animals in health and disease. Many pathological conditions of the central nervous system have already been linked to inflammatory responses. In this scenario, several available markers and techniques can help imaging and unveil the neuroinflammatory process. Moreover, microscopy imaging How to cite this article: de Fraga LS, Tassinari ID, Jantsch J, Guedes RP, Bambini-Junior V. 'A picture is worth a thousand words': The use of microscopy for imaging neuroinflammation.