Wolff Parkinson White syndrome

Wolff Parkinson White syndrome is an abnormality of the hearts electrical system. When the heart beats normally the electrical impulse initiating the heartbeat start at the sinus node and passes through the atrioventricular node to the ventricles. With WPW patients there is extra myocardial tissue present in the atrioventricular ring, this causes a short circuit. This tissue (accessory pathway) passes the electrical signal to the ventricles more quickly than the correct pathway via the AV node. The ventricles are thus pre-excited causing arrhythmia.

Symptoms

Supraventricular tachycardia causing light-headedness, dizziness, palpitations, dyspnoea, diaphoresis, angina, shortness of breath and possible chest discomfort.

 Detailed information can be found at the NHS website 

 

Consultant Cardiologist Professor Sanjay Sharma talks about Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (WPW)…

Animation of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome