Pseudo myocardial infarction and pseudo ventricular hypertrophy ECG patterns in Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome

in Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome, the ventricles are pre-excited thr ough an accessory conduction pathway, bundle of Kent, which directly connec ts atria with Ventricles bypassing the atrioventricular node. The altered s equence of ventricular activation secondary to presence of the bundle of Ke nt may cause pseudo myocardial infarction and pseudo ventricular hypertroph y patterns on electrocardiogram. The morphology of these pseudo electrocard iographic patterns depends on the anatomical location of the bundle of Kent around the circumference of the atrioventricular ring. Electrocardiograms of the WPW syndrome displaying morphology of different pseudo patterns are presented and the mechanisms causing pseudo patterns are reviewed. Copyrigh t (C) 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company.