A method and an apparatus are disclosed for visualizing tubular anatomical structures, in particular vessel structures, in medical 3D image records. The method according to at least one embodiment of the invention includes: providing 3D image data of the tubular anatomical structure determining a centerline of the tubular anatomical structure in the 3D image data selecting a point of the centerline generating a 2D slice image assigned to the point, the 2D slice image representing a sectional plane in the 3D image data, which sectional plane is arranged relative to a section of the centerline, including the point and a prescribable section start point and section end point of the section, such that an orthogonal distance from the sectional plane for each centerline point of the section is less than or equal to a prescribed value R, the value R being selected to be greater than a value Rkrit, and Rkrit specifying the value for which precisely one such sectional plane can be determined and visually displaying the 2D slice image.
