title: The prevalence of early repolarization in Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome with a special reference to J waves and the effects of catheter ablation.
abstract: We determined the prevalence of J waves in the electrocardiograms (ECG) of 120 patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome in comparison with J-wave prevalence in a control group of 1936 men and women with comparable demographic and ECG characteristics and with normal atrioventricular conduction. J waves were present only during manifest preexcitation in 22 of 120 patients (18.3%), disappearing after catheter ablation and suggesting that J waves were associated with the presence of preexcitation. J waves were present in 19 (15.8%) of 120 patients only after ablation, apparently having been masked by early depolarization of the preexcited myocardial region, and in 22 patients (18.3%), J waves were not altered significantly by preexcitation. Thus, the overall J-wave prevalence was 52.5% (63/120) and, excluding those apparently due to preexcitation, 34.8% (41/120), both substantially higher than the prevalence (11.5%) in the control group (P < .001 for both). The patients with J waves appearing only during preexcitation were younger, predominantly females. The presence of J waves after ablation was associated with a history of atrial fibrillation and shorter ventricular effective refractory period. It is concluded that the prevalence of J waves is high in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome and is influenced by manifest preexcitation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Science, Niigata, Japan.
authors.forename: Nobue
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yagihara
authors.forename: Akinori
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Iijima
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Izumi
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Furushima
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Tadanobu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Irie
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kaneko
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurabayashi
authors.forename: Masaomi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chinushi
authors.forename: Masahito
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Satou
authors.forename: Yoshifusa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Aizawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014927:Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*