Prognostic Factors of Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome in Children

Abstract

Objective: to determine the prognostic factors determining the severity of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (WPW) in children. Methods: a retrospective analysis of the course of the disease was performed in 108 children with WPW syndrome aged 13.6 (12-16) years. Depending on the number of attacks of paroxysmal tachycardia (PT), all children were divided into 2 groups: group A consisted of 47 children (43.5%) with a history of no more than three attacks of PT and they were rare; group B included 61 children (56.5%) with frequent (more than once a month) attacks of PT, more than four in the history. We studied: the family history, the clinical picture of the disease, the nature of paroxysmal tachycardia, the effectiveness of treatment, and the results of instrumental studies. Using the method of mathematical modeling, the informative value of each feature was determined, and the diagnostic value was determined. Results: age and gender differences in the development of WPW syndrome in children were established. The presence of a family history of ECG signs of ventricular preexcitation is a reliable sign (p=0.02), contributing to more frequent PT attacks. More frequent development of PT attacks was noted in patients with mitral valve prolapse (p=0.03) and additional chords in the left ventricular cavity (p=0.001). In the group with frequent PT attacks, signs of sinus node dysfunction were detected more often (<0.001). According to the echocardiographic study, children with frequent PT attacks were more likely to have disorders in the form of thickening of the interventricular septum in the diastole (p=0.010) and signs of diastolic dysfunction of the right ventricle (p = 0.010). Conclusion: The factors of prognostic value include: male gender, the presence of the expressed symptoms of the attack of PT and PT frequency more than once per month, low vagal efficiency on relieving the attack, a history of frequent attacks, a family history of ECG characteristics of premature ventricular excitation, the presence of signs of sinus node dysfunction during 24 hours without the attack and the signs of arrhythmogenic myocardial dysfunction by echocardiography.