Clinical presentation and treatment of atrial fibrillation in Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome

Abstract

A case of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome with atrial fibrillation (AF) is reported in a patient who presented with syncope, tachycardia, and hypotension. The electrocardiogram (ECG) showed a fast irregular rhythm with wide polymorphic QRS tachycardia without the QRS twisting around the isoelectric baseline, diagnostic of AF and Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. The patient did not respond to intravenous amiodarone. Elective cardioversion restored sinus rhythm, and the ECG showed a wide QRS complex, short PR interval, and delta wave, indicating the presence of an accessory pathway and pre-excitation. AF was easily induced during the electrophysiologic study, requiring electrical cardioversion for severe hypotension. Successful radiofrequency ablation of the accessory pathway completely prevented further inducible AF. The patient no longer had any evidence of pre-excitation on ECG and remained symptom-free with no medications for 11 months.