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A longitudinal study on electrophysiological properties of atrioventricular accessory pathways in infants and

S Ding1, N Sumitomo, H Ushinohama

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.

Acta Paediatrica Japonica : Overseas Edition
|February 1, 1995
PubMed

Insights

Accessory pathway (AP) electrophysiological properties change during childhood development. These changes can lead to altered conduction and reduced pre-excitation in pediatric patients with supraventricular tachycardia.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Cardiology
  • Electrophysiology
  • Cardiac Electrophysiology

Background:

  • Accessory pathways (APs) are congenital cardiac anomalies that can cause supraventricular tachycardia.
  • Electrophysiological properties of APs may change with age, but data in infants and children is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the developmental electrophysiological changes in accessory pathway properties in infants and children.
  • To assess the impact of these changes on tachycardia induction and conduction properties.

Main Methods:

  • Intracardiac and/or transesophageal electrophysiological studies were performed on two groups: infants (mean age 2 months) and children (mean age 9 years).
  • Studies were conducted at baseline (study 1) and follow-up (study 2) to document changes in AP properties and tachycardia induction.
  • Orthodromic atrioventricular tachycardia was documented in all participants at study 1.

Main Results:

  • Supraventricular tachycardia was inducible in 43% of infants and 100% of children at follow-up.
  • Developmental changes in AP antegrade conduction properties were observed.
  • Loss or intermittent pre-excitation was documented in a subset of patients, indicating altered AP function over time.

Conclusions:

  • Accessory pathway electrophysiological properties undergo significant developmental changes throughout childhood.
  • These changes can influence the inducibility of supraventricular tachycardia and the manifestation of pre-excitation.
  • Understanding these developmental trends is crucial for managing pediatric patients with accessory pathways.

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