Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome is also known as pre-excitation syndrome. It is a condition in which the normal electrical signals in the heart travel along an extra, abnormal electrical pathway, which can cause an abnormal heart rhythm.
WPW is sometimes genetic. Some people do not need treatment, either because they are asymptomatic or because the condition resolves on its own. As the person ages, the accessory pathway (the Kent Bundles) may lose its ability to conduct electrical impulses. WPW may also go into dormancy only to recur later in life.
WPW is more prevalent in men than in women and affects less than 2 people per 1000. 70% of people with WPW have no other signs of heart disease. 30% will have another heart condition.
Symptoms
- Vary according to the nature and severity of the rapid heartbeat (tachycardia). There may be no symptoms until a tachycardia occurs.
- Rapid heart beat (over 100 beats per minute)
- Palpitations, lightheadedness, mild to severe chest pain, fatigue, shortness of breath, and fainting
- Could develop a potentially fatal heart rhythm known as ventricular fibrillation
- Cardiac arrest
Diagnosis
Involves assessing blood pressure and heart rate. Usually a symptomatic individual will have a normal or low blood pressure and a heart rate of approximately 150-250 beats per minute. The presence of a delta wave on an electrocardiogram indicates an extra electrical pathway. A Holter monitor may be used. An electrophysiology study (EPS) may be done, which locates the extra electrical pathway and determines the extent to which electrical impulses are traveling through it.
Treatment
Treatment may require antiarrhythmic medications. A catheter ablation may be performed, which is a catheter-based procedure that eliminates the abnormal pathway. This procedure has a 95% success rate and the risk of complications is low. Rarely open-heart surgery is necessary. Some people do not need treatment, either because they are asymptomatic or because the condition resolves on it's own.
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