WPW syndrome (Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome)
Published April 17, 2024 | 
WPW syndrome (Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome) is derived from the last names of the doctors who first described it. WPW is associated with episodes (paroxysms) of rapid heartbeat known as paroxysmal tachycardia.
People with WPW syndrome have abnormal connections in the conducting tissue of the heart, called accessory pathways, that lead to premature stimulus (excitation) of the heart muscle so that it starts beating much faster than normal. The disorder usually causes typical changes on an electrocardiogram (ECG) that can help establish the diagnosis. Most people with episodic rapid heartbeat don’t have WPW.
In some people, the abnormal conducting tissue which causes WPW syndrome may be altered with a technique using a special cardiac catheter in a procedure called radio frequency ablation. This may cure the problem.