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TUTORIAL: Clinical PET - Cardiology
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Polar Maps
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Shown above are NH3 images for various planes and the corresponding polar map with the coronary blood vessel supply regions superimposed. Polar maps are derived by combining images from multiple planes (designated by the circle around the myocardium in the above images) so that information about the entire myocardium can be displayed in a single image. Polar maps can be thought of as the image that would be obtained if one took a 3-D cone-shaped heart activity image and projected it onto a single plane. Each image plane forms an annulus in the polar map (i.e. the outer annuli of the polar map correspond to the proximal regions of myocardium, whereas the inner rings are derived from the apex). The annulus from each plane is divided into an arbritrary number of sectors (usually 60) which tends to smooth the data (the polar map appears to be constructed from little rectangular blocks). Polar maps can also be normalized to each other, or can be normalized to a database so that direct comparsions can be made. The NH3 polar map above shows normal flow in all regions, with no apparent perfusion defects.
Click on image above to view full-size image.
Shown above is the relationship between the coronary blood supply and the polar map image. The regions (proximal, mid, distal and apex) of the heart that comprise the polar map are also indicated. (RCA=Right Coronary Artery;LAD=Left Anterior Descending Artery; LCx=Lateral Circumflex Artery)
Credits
Material for this section was kindly provided by:Johannes Czernin, M.D.
Dept. of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology
UCLA School of Medicine
Heinrich R. Schelbert, M.D., Ph.D.
Dept. of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology
UCLA School of Medicine
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