Wolff Parkinson White
Wolff Parkinson white
In 1930, Wolff, Parkinson, and White described a series of young patients who had a bundle branch block pattern on electrocardiography (ECG) findings, a short PR interval, and paroxysms of tachycardia. Case reports began appearing in the literature in the late 1930s and early 1940s, and the term wolff parkinson white WPW syndrome was coined in 1940.
Preexcitation was defined by Durrer et al in 1970 with the following statement, Preexcitation exists, if in relation to atrial events, the whole or some part of the ventricular muscle is activated earlier by the impulse originating from the atrium than would be expected if the impulse reached the ventricles by way of the normal specific conduction system only.
wolff parkinson white syndrome is currently defined as a congenital abnormality involving the presence of abnormal conductive tissue between the atria and the ventricles in association with supraventricular tachycardia (SVT). It involves preexcitation, which occurs because of conduction of an atrial impulse not by means of the normal conduction system, but via an extra atrioventricular (AV) muscular connection, termed an accessory pathway (AP), that bypasses the AV node.
Classic ECG findings that are associated with wolff parkinson white syndrome include the presence of a short PR interval (< 120 ms), a wide QRS complex longer than 120 ms with a slurred onset of the QRS waveform producing a delta wave in the early part of QRS and secondary ST-T wave
Some patients with wolff parkinson white syndrome have a concealed bypass tract. Although they have an accessory AV connection, it lacks antegrade conduction, so, wolff parkinson white syndrome patients do not have the classic abnormalities of the surface ECG.
Only a small percentage of patients with wolff parkinson white syndrome (< 1%) are at risk for sudden cardiac death (SCD). In patients who present with preexcited AF, cardiac electrophysiologic studies and radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation may be curative. Other presentations include symptomatic SVT, which can also be cured by catheter ablation. Asymptomatic patients need periodic observation. The onset of cardiac arrhythmias, and possibly the sudden death risk, may be eliminated by prophylactic catheter ablation as well.
wolff parkinson white syndrome, or syndrome, is the presence of an extra, abnormal electrical pathway in the heart that leads to periods of a very fast heartbeat (tachycardia).
The extra electrical pathway of wolff parkinson white syndrome is present at birth. People of all ages, including infants, can experience the symptoms related to Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. Episodes of a fast heartbeat often first occur when people are in their teens or early 20s.
In most cases, the episodes of fast heartbeats aren’t life-threatening, but serious heart problems can occur. Treatments for wolff parkinson white syndrome can stop or prevent episodes of fast heartbeats. A catheter-based procedure, known as ablation, can permanently correct the heart rhythm problems.
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