Preexcitation unmasks J waves: 2 cases.
It is not known if J waves of early repolarization can be affected by depolarization or not. We report 2 cases in whom J waves were unmasked by preexcitation. A 59-year-old woman with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome who had frequent episodes of tachycardia underwent radiofrequency catheter ablation. The 12-lead electrocardiogram on admission showed delta waves and a notch in leads II, III, and aVF (J waves), which disappeared after the elimination of preexcitation. A 56-year-old man with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome was admitted for catheter ablation for supraventricular tachycardia. His electrocardiogram showed delta waves in I, II, aVL, V(2) to V(6), and J waves in the inferior leads and V(3) through V(6) with ST elevation and ST elevation in V(2). After ablation, J waves disappeared and were replaced by S waves. However, ST elevation remained in the precordial leads. The 2 cases suggest that J waves may be affected by the depolarization process: preexcitation.
Division of Cardiology, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Science, Niigata, Japan.
Satomi
S
Nagao
Yuka
Y
Hayashi
Nobue
N
Yagihara
Akinori
A
Sato
Hiroshi
H
Watanabe
Hiroshi
H
Furushima
Masaomi
M
Chinushi
Yoshifusa
Y
Aizawa
D017115:Catheter Ablation; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014927:Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*