Cardiovascular MR Imaging Planes and Segmentation

Abstract

Tomographic imaging of the human body is usually performed along orthogonal image planes (i.e., transverse, coronal, sagittal), but these axes are not well suited for imaging of the heart because of its complex orientation within the thoracic cage with the cardiac apex usually oriented leftward and downward. As a solution, image planes oriented along the long- and short-axis of the heart allow orthogonal imaging within the heart itself. Besides, specific image planes can be selected to appropriately study parts of the heart (e.g., cardiac valves), to evaluate the relation of the heart with the great vessels or to study the great vessels. In this chapter the different image planes to study the heart, coronary arteries and great vessels are explained in detail and a standardized approach is provided how to achieve starting from the body axes, the different image planes currently used in cardiac imaging. In the final section, the segmentation of the left ventricle using the 17-segment frame of reference is discussed.