Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome: Diagnostic and management strategies

An unknown number of people are born with single or multiple accessory electrical pathways between the atria and the ventricles. Although most people who have an accessory pathway never experience any problems, some show characteristic abnormalities on surface electrocardiography (the Wolff-Parkinson-White [WPW] pattern), and a minority of those with the WPW pattern experience symptoms such as palpitations, dizziness, shortness of breath, and presyncope-the WPW syndrome. The latter has the potential to lead to malignant tachyarrhythmias and even sudden cardiac death. Thus, it is imperative to detect the WPW electrocardiographic pattern, diagnose WPW syndrome early, and adequately risk stratify those at risk for serious complications.