Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome
| Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| A characteristic "delta wave" wave seen in a person with Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome. Note the short PR interval. | |
| Classification and external resources | |
| Specialty | Cardiology |
| ICD-10 | I45.6 |
| ICD-9-CM | 426.7 |
| OMIM | 194200 |
| DiseasesDB | 14186 |
| MedlinePlus | 000151 |
| eMedicine | emerg/644 med/2417 |
| Patient UK | Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome |
| MeSH | C14.280.067.780.977 |
Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome (WPW) is one of several disorders of the electrical system of the heart that are commonly referred to as pre-excitation syndromes.
WPW is caused by the presence of an abnormal accessory electrical conduction pathway between the atria and the ventricles. Electrical signals traveling down this abnormal pathway (known as the bundle of Kent) may stimulate the ventricles to contract prematurely, resulting in a unique type of supraventricular tachycardia referred to as an atrioventricular re-entrant tachycardia.
WPW affects between 0.1 and 0.3% in the population.Sudden cardiac death in people with WPW is rare (less than 0.6%), and is usually caused by the propagation of an atrial tachydysrhythmia (rapid and abnormal heart rate) to the ventricles by the accessory pathway.
People with WPW are usually asymptomatic. However, the individual may experience palpitations, dizziness, shortness of breath, or syncope (fainting or near fainting) during episodes of supraventricular tachycardia. The telltale "delta wave" may sometimes be seen on an electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG).
Electrical activity in the normal human heart begins when a cardiac action potential arises in the sinoatrial (SA) node, which is located in the right atrium. From there, the electrical stimulus is transmitted via internodal pathways to the atrioventricular (AV) node. After a brief delay at the AV node, the stimulus travels through the bundle of His to the left and right bundle branches and then to the Purkinje fibers and the endocardium at the apex of the heart, then finally to the ventricular myocardium.
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