Intravenous esmolol is safe and effective to reach the optimum heart rate in patients assigned for MSCT.

The presence and morphological characteristics of MB and its relation with atherosclerotic plaques in the involved coronary artery can be comprehensively analysed with 64-slice computed tomography coronary angiography. Atherosclerosis is a common finding in segments proximal to MB, but the prevalence of plaques in equivalent segments (proximal LAD in our study) is not higher than in patients under similar coronary artery disease risk and without MB. On the other hand, prevalence of atherosclerotic plaques at the distal LAD was significantly lower in our patients with MB on the middle LAD. Finally, we suggest that rather than causing proximal atherosclerosis, MB might have a more important role in the protection of distal segments of the bridged arteries from atherosclerosis.

A 51-year-old woman presented with severe chest pain minutes after starting intravenous paclitaxel as a part of the systemic chemotherapy due to ovarian carcinoma. The electrocardiogram (ECG) revealed sinus rhythm with ST-segment elevations in inferior and anterior leads. The ST-segment elevations resolved immediately after sublingual nitroglycerine. Cardiac troponin T and CPK MB levels remained in the normal range at repeat measurements. It was presumed that in spite of standard premedication, paclitaxel had induced acute coronary syndrome with ST-segment elevations in this patient.

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