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Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome is a rare congenital heart defect characterized by an additional electrical circuit inside the heart, causing abnormal heart rate or tachycardia. Symptoms may not be immediately realized, but can lead to death if left untreated. Treatment includes catheter ablation or medication.
Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome is a rare congenital heart defect. Specifically, it is characterized by a second electrical circuit present inside the heart. The additional circuit is also sometimes referred to as a Kent beam. As a rare condition, bundle of Kent causes an abnormal heart rate or increased heart rate, also known as tachycardia.
Most normal hearts rely on just one circuit to transmit electrical signals from the upper to the lower heart chambers. These signals are crucial for the survival of the body as they regulate the heartbeat. When these signals are disrupted or sent incorrectly, the result is an arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat.
Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome causes electrical signals to be sent too soon. As a result, the heart rhythm is disrupted and too many heartbeats can occur. When this happens, a person begins to feel distinct physical symptoms, which are usually not fatal, but are serious and can lead to death.
Although a person is born with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome and may experience signs of the disorder as a child, in some people, the symptoms aren’t always immediately realized, and people may be largely unaware that the condition exists. In fact, in most cases, individuals don’t begin experiencing symptoms until their teen and young adult years. Though less common, some do not experience Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome symptoms until much later in life, when they begin their senior years.
Infants and young children with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome can succumb to early heart failure. Initial symptoms, such as lack of appetite, very cold skin, and fatigue serve as warning signs that a child is ill. These children may also have heartbeats that are visible to the eye and appear to be racing. At the same time, parents and guardians may notice that the child has difficulty breathing.
Adolescents with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome experience symptoms similar to those of newborns, but the rapid heart rate usually occurs as a result of exercise and can result in a loss of consciousness. Some young sufferers also report chest pain. These symptoms can lead to deaths during adolescence if the condition is not discovered and treated in time.
Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome is commonly treated by catheter ablation. In this procedure, a catheter is inserted into the heart and the energy produced by the radio frequency is used to destroy Kent’s bundle of tissue and stop the extra signaling. Although Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome can be fatal, most people are successfully treated with catheter ablation or are able to successfully treat the condition with medications used to treat tachycardia.
