Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome

As I mentioned in the blog post below I had a week in hospital in March with Wolff Parkinson White syndrome.

I had a time in Hospital in March after a Wolff Parkinson White syndrome, incident and correction.

Don’t worry I didn’t know what it was either before I was diagnosed with it.

In 1915, Frank Norman Wilson (1890–1952) became the first to describe the condition later called Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome. Alfred M. Wedd (1887–1967) was the next to describe the condition in 1921. Cardiologists Louis Wolff (1898–1972), John Parkinson (1885–1976) and Paul Dudley White (1886–1973) are credited with the definitive description of the disorder in 1930.

The definition is: 

A syndrome in which an extra signaling electrical pathway in the heart causes a rapid heartbeat (tachycardia).  

The extra electrical pathway in Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome appears between the heart's upper and lower chambers and is present at birth. (congenital heart defect). WPW is the most common type of ventricular preexcitation (preexcitation: the impulses travel to the ventricle earlier than what you would expect them to if they travelled down the normal pathway through the AV node).

The atrioventricular (AV) node is a small structure in the heart, located in the Koch triangle.

The AV node controls the passage of the heart's electrical signal from the atria (upper chamber) to the ventricles (lower chamber). After an electrical impulse is generated by the sinus node (located at the top of the right atrium), it spreads across both atria (right and left upper chambers), causing these chambers to beat.

In saying that WPW is also fairly rare, occurring randomly in the general population, in about 1 to 3 per 1,000 persons. In the general population, men have a higher incidence of WPW than women do, and there is a higher incidence of multiple accessory pathways in men.

Symptoms most often appear between the ages of 11 and 50. The condition is discovered by chance during a heart exam. They usually aren't life-threatening, but serious heart problems can occur. Rarely, WPW syndrome may lead to sudden cardiac death in children and young adults.

Some cases of WPW are inherited. Parents who have accessory pathways may pass them on to their children. One paper suggested the incidence of preexcitation in first-degree relatives could be as high as 5.5 per 1,000 persons. About 7 to 20 percent of patients with WPW also have congenital defects within the heart.

Common Symptoms are

• A rapid, fluttering or pounding heartbeat
• Dizziness or light-headedness
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue
• Anxiety
• Chest pain
• Difficulty breathing
• Fainting

It can begin suddenly, lasting a few seconds or several hours, during rest or exercise

Cause

The extra electrical pathway is caused by an abnormal gene that connects the atria (upper chamber) and ventricles (lower chamber), allowing electrical impulses to bypass the AV node. This detour activates the ventricles too early and also transmit electrical impulses from the ventricles back to the atria disrupting the co-ordinated movement of the electrical signals through the heart, leading to changes in the heart rhythm.

Tests

• Electrocardiography ECG
• Holter monitoring – 24 hours +
• Electrophysiological studies – treadmill test.

Treatment 

This may involve the use of medication or a catheter procedure to stop the irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia), a procedure known as ablation. Thin, flexible tubes (catheters) are threaded through blood vessels to your heart. Low-voltage, high-frequency electrical energy at the catheter tip are heated to destroy (ablate) the extra electrical pathway causing your condition.
In rare instances, an electric shock may be used to restore a normal rhythm. (cardioversion) 

WPW syndrome may also be called preexcitation syndrome.

Apparently, I have had Wolff Parkinson White syndrome diagnosed before but I was never told, or don’t remember.

I have never been one to play much sport and in fact when I did do things like go for long walks, especially going uphill, I would feel exhausted and have heart palpitations that I thought was just an indication of being unfit. Running was never a strong point either and I longed to be able to go for a jog but it was just too much effort.

My next post will be about what happened to me.