Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome »
What is Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome?
Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome is a condition
characterized by abnormal electrical pathways in the heart that cause a disruption of the heart's normal rhythm (arrhythmia).
The heartbeat is controlled by electrical signals that
move through the heart in a highly coordinated way. A specialized cluster of
cells called the atrioventricular node conducts electrical impulses from the heart's upper chambers (the atria) to the lower chambers (the ventricles). Impulses move through the atrioventricular node during each heartbeat, stimulating the ventricles to contract slightly later than the atria.
What are the symptoms of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome
People with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome are born with
an extra connection in the heart, called an accessory pathway, that allows
electrical signals to bypass the atrioventricular node and move from the atria to the ventricles fa...
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The most traumatic incident in my life was the death of my beloved sister at the age of 37. She had symptoms of chest discomfort on the day but EKG examination by her GP did not reveal any abnormality. There were no 'typical' symptoms of heart disease. So she was advised to go home and take a rest. That night my sister had a cardiac arrest and nobody could revive her. Autopsy was negative except for narrowing of right coronary artery ostium and lumen but no signs of Myocardial Infarction. It is assumed that she died of VF, pulmonary edema and brain anoxia. She had no previous history of heart disease and she was healthy and active always. The only clue I have now is that she had h/o hypertension during her pregnancy but became normotensive after delivery. She had an episode of herpes zoster (shingles) infection during her first pregnancy. She did not have any screening tests before as she was a young, active, non smoker and was not diabetic. Being a doctor I just can't forgive myself for not preventing her death. (I was not with her and the news of her death was the most shocking incident in my life). Published: November 02 ::