Inherited Wolff–Parkinson–White Syndrome

Wolff-Parkinson-White(WPW)syndrome is a congenital disorder of cardiac conduction system characterized by electrocardiographic preexcitation and episodes of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia.It is caused by a cardiac developmental defect in the electrical insulation between the atria and the ventricles due to the presence of an accessory pathway.WPW syndrome is a common cause of supraventricular tachycardia with benign prognosis.However,this clinical entity also predisposes patients to an increased risk of sudden cardiac death,especially in the setting of preexcited atrial fibrillation.WPW syndrome is usually sporadic and of unknown etiology in most cases.During the past10years,a signifi cant heritable factor is increasingly recognized.Identifi cation of the genetic basis among patients with WPW syndrome has important implications for understanding the molecular mechanism of ventricular preexcitation and the development of therapeutic strategies for risk stratifi cation and management.The goal of this review is to examine the previous studies on hereditary variants,as well as to outline potential future avenues toward defi ning the heritability of WPW syndrome.