[Outcome of 195 patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome]

Between 1974 and 1984, 207 patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (WPW) were admitted to our hospital department; 195 of them were followed up for periods ranging from 1 to 12 years (6 years in children, 3 years and 9 months in adults on average); 160 had undergone electrophysiological exploration. Fifty-seven patients were less than 16 years old: 7 died, including 6 with associated congenital heart disease; an asymptomatic 12-year old girl died suddenly while taking part in a sporting event. The signs of WPW disappeared in 5 out of 10 children under 1 year of age. One hundred and thirty-eight patients were older than 15: 15 of them died, but only 3 deaths were related to WPW: one was consecutive to surgery for WPW and one to fulguration; the third patient died of WPW tachyarrhythmia; the refractory period of his Kent's bundle was short, but his compliance with treatment was irregular. We found no correlation between changes in functional symptoms and Kent's bundle refractory period values; paradoxically, the frequency of attacks and resistance to treatment was higher in cases with long refractory period. On the whole, this series confirms that WPW usually is a benign disease. However, the risk of sudden death, of which it offers an example, indicates that all patients with WPW should be evaluated with at least an exercise test and, depending on its results or on the socio-professional context, an electrophysiological exploration.