Bio‐cartogramography a novel presentation of physiological data

Anatomical drawings are often used to present organ‐specific physiological data, such as tissue water content or metabolic rate. While effectively representing organ size and relative position in the body, inadequate weighting is given to the magnitude of dynamic physiological processes or static measures. We have developed a novel presentation for such physiological data through adaptation of geographic information systems methodology (GIS). GIS‐derived cartograms are maps which rescale land areas based on magnitude of the attribute of interest (AoI), such as population or cancer prevalence. Newer GIS algorithms facilitate rescaling, creating distorted maps with constituent areas scaled by AoI magnitude, while maintaining recognizable shapes and topology. Cartograms could be used in presentation of biomedical information if applied to anatomic and physiological rather than geographic models. Instead of maps as starting points, an organism, the rat, has been used. Organ water‐content cartograms are presented with rescaling of organ areas such that wet organs appear enlarged and dry organs smaller. Visual enhancement of AoI weighting improves recognition of physiological status changes occurring when AoI is altered by disease or trauma. Redistribution of organ water content post‐hemorrhage is presented in cartograms generated with Dorling‐style as well as newer diffusion based algorithms.