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In this Article

• What is Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome?
• What are the symptoms of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome
• What are the complications of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome?
• What other heart conditions is Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome associated with?
• How common is Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome?
• What genes are related to Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome?
• How do people inherit Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome?
• Where can I find information about treatment for Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome?
• What other names do people use for Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome?
• Patient Comments: Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome - Share Your Experience
• Patient Comments: Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome - Symptoms
• Find a local Cardiologist in your town
• Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome Index

Complications of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome can occur at any age, although some individuals born with an accessory pathway in the heart never experience any health problems associated with the condition.

Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome often occurs with other structural abnormalities of the heart or underlying heart disease. The most common heart defect associated with the condition is Ebstein anomaly, which affects the valve that allows blood to flow from the right atrium to the right ventricle (the tricuspid valve). Additionally, Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome can be a component of several other genetic syndromes, including hypokalemic periodic paralysis (a condition that causes episodes of extreme muscle weakness), Pompe disease (a disorder characterized by the storage of excess glycogen), and tuberous sclerosis (a condition that results in the growth of noncancerous tumors in many parts of the body).

Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome affects 1 to 3 in 1,000 people worldwide. Only a small fraction of these cases appear to run in families.

Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome is a common cause of an arrhythmia known as paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome is the most frequent cause of this abnormal heart rhythm in the Chinese population, where it is responsible for more than 70 percent of cases.