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Objective: Prolactin is correlated with some conditions that predispose individuals to atherosclerosis. Prolactin receptors have been found in atherosclerotic plaques. However, the correlation between the serum prolactin level and the extension and severity of coronary artery atherosclerosis has yet to be studied., Methods: In total, 414 postmenopausal women candidated for selective coronary angiography with normal serum prolactin levels were enrolled. The patients' lipid profile and levels of serum prolactin, thyroid-stimulating hormone, C-reactive protein, urea, creatinine, and fasting blood sugar were measured. The Gensini score for each patient was calculated. The study population was divided into 3 groups according to the tertile of the serum prolactin level., Results: There was no statistically significant difference in terms of the Gensini score between the 3 groups in the univariate analysis (P = 0.075). The multivariable analysis showed that the serum prolactin level was not an independent determinant of the Gensini score (P = 0.430), whereas age, hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidemia were the independent determinants of the Gensini score., Conclusions: There was no statistically significant correlation between the serum prolactin level and coronary artery atherosclerosis expressed as the Gensini score in our sample of postmenopausal women.

A bifid cardiac apex is a rare congenital cardiac anomaly in humans and is usually associated with other congenital heart diseases. Presently described is a case of an incidentally detected bifid cardiac apex in a patient presenting with inferior ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, which was subsequently confirmed with selective ventriculography. This anomaly, because it is rare, can be a source of confusion to clinicians, especially when acute coronary syndrome is present. The possible presence of this anomaly should, therefore, be kept in mind in daily practice.

Objective: Coronary slow-flow phenomenon (CSFP) is described as protracted passage of angiographic contrast agent to the distal portion of the epicardial coronary arteries in the absence of stenosis. Few studies have addressed the effects of this condition on right ventricular (RV) dysfunction. The present objective was to assess RV function in CSFP via 2-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (2DSTE)., Methods: A total of 29 patients with CSFP and 29 participants with normal coronary flow were compared regarding RV systolic and diastolic functions. Participants were matched for age, sex, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus. RV systolic and diastolic functions were evaluated with pulsed-wave tissue Doppler echocardiography and 2DSTE., Results: There were no statistically significant differences between the CSFP group and the control group regarding tissue Doppler echocardiographic and 2DSTE-derived indices., Conclusion: CSFP was not associated with tissue Doppler echocardiographic and 2DSTE-derived indices of RV systolic and diastolic function.

A mitral-aortic intervalvular fibrosa pseudoaneurysm is a rare complication after aortic and mitral valve replacement and aortic root replacement. A left ventricular pseudoaneurysm after mitral valve replacement is also a rare complication. Here, we describe a 48-year-old woman with a history of a Bentall operation and mitral valve replacement 6 years before, presenting with double pseudoaneurysms in the left ventricle and mitral-aortic intervalvular fibrosa, detected via transesophageal echocardiography.