A growing number of women with heart disease are considering pregnancy with the help of assisted reproductive technology (ART). Although an ever-increasing amount of knowledge exists on pregnancy in both congenital and acquired heart disease patients, little information is available on fertility treatments specifically in these women. This review seeks to provide an overview of the existing data and explores areas in need of research in this field. Changes in the hormonal environment seen in ART patients initially entail an increase then a decrease in blood pressure and peripheral vascular resistance. A shift in the thrombotic-thrombolytic balance towards coagulation is observed. Compared to normal pregnancy, ART-conceived pregnancies exhibit an increased adverse event rate for both the mother and foetus, including a higher incidence of hypertensive disorders and an increase in thromboembolic events during the first trimester. Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome in particular can cause dramatic haemodynamic changes and an increase in upper body thrombosis. Viewing these findings within the context of women with an underlying heart disease reveals indications that maternal and neonatal complications after fertility treatments are higher. Pre-pregnancy risk assessment is essential to identifying women with heart disease for whom ART may be dangerous and therefore inappropriate.

Endometriosis compromises the quality of life of countless women worldwide and is a leading cause of disability. Clinical symptoms of endometriosis can be very heterogeneous leading to a long interval between onset of symptoms and surgical diagnosis. A noninvasive, rapid diagnostic test is urgently needed. In this prospective study, we evaluated the usefulness of Cytokeratin-19 (CK19) as a biomarker for the diagnosis of endometriosis through urine and serum ELISA. 76 reproductive-aged women undergoing laparoscopy for benign conditions were included to this study and divided into two groups by the presence (n = 44) or absence (n = 32) of endometriosis. There was no statistically significant correlation between the concentration of CK19 in urine (p = 0.51) or in serum (p = 0.77) and the diagnosis of endometriosis. Assigning the samples to the proliferative or secretory cycle stage did not sufficiently lower the p values. In this study, the promising data reported in the recent literature about CK19 serving as a sufficient biomarker for endometriosis could not be verified when tested in a larger sample size. Further studies are warranted to explore the usefulness of CK19 in the diagnosis of endometriosis.

Background Hyperthyroidism is commonly associated with adverse cardiovascular effects, including tachydysrhythmia, heart failure, and hypertension, although the association between hyperthyroidism and myopericarditis is restricted to a small number of case reports. Case summary A 45-year-old Caucasian male with no past medical history was admitted with chest pain. The electrocardiogram demonstrated diffuse ST-segment elevation, the troponin T rose, and he was diagnosed with myopericarditis. He was noted to have markedly deranged thyroid function tests and a diagnosis of hyperthyroidism secondary to Graves’ disease was made. He was treated with Bisoprolol, Carbimazole, Prednisolone, Ibuprofen, and Colchicine, his symptoms resolved rapidly and he was discharged. Five weeks later he re-presented with similar symptoms and recurrent pericarditis was diagnosed. His symptoms settled with a repeat course of steroids. Discussion We hypothesize that there may be an underappreciated link between hyperthyroidism and myopericarditis. Potential pathophysiological mechanisms include viral infection, autoimmunity, or changes in myocardial fat metabolism. Suggested management consists of a combination of current guidelines for the treatment of hyperthyroidism and pericardial disease, with attention to certain disease–drug interactions. Further research is required to evaluate the true incidence of hyperthyroidism-associated myopericarditis, elucidate its pathophysiology and instruct management.