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Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome is also known as preexcitation syndrome, and there are a number of variants of this syndrome. All of these variants are characterized by electrical impulses traveling through either an extra (accessory) pathway or abnormally through the heart’s normal electrical system, resulting in premature contraction of the ventricles. The premature contraction can lead to fast heart rhythms (tachycardias). Variants of WPW syndrome include:
- Concealed accessory pathway. A common variant of WPW syndrome where the accessory pathway is not apparent by analysis of a surface electrocardiogram. This variant requires invasive electrophysiology testing for diagnosis and treatment.
- Enhanced AV nodal pathway (formerly known as Lown-Ganong-Levine [LGL] syndrome). As recently as 1997, this condition was believed to be caused by an accessory pathway. Experts currently believe that the condition is caused by electrical signals that travel through the heart’s normal electrical system, but which are somehow sped up as they pass through the atrioventricular node (between the upper and lower chambers of the heart). This process is not well understood.
- Nodoventricular fibers. A variant of WPW syndrome in which the electrical fibers pass through types of Mahaim fibers called nodoventricular fibers instead of through the heart’s normal electrical system.
- Fasciculoventricular fibers. A variant of WPW syndrome in which the electrical fibers pass through types of Mahaim fibers called fasciculoventricular fibers instead of through the heart’s normal electrical system.
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