Transient Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome and Neonatal Reciprocating Tachycardia

A premature infant is reported with a transient Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) Syndrome, atrial reciprocating rhythm and atrial reciprocating tachycardia during the second month of life. The spontaneous onset and termination of numerous attacks of tachycardia were recorded and analyzed. Many electrocardiographic tracings suggested the presence of Wenckebach periodicity of the anomalous A-V pathway resulting in atrial reciprocal rhythm which from time to time initiated a reciprocating tachycardia. In some tracings atrial reciprocal rhythm was preceded by a wandering atrial pacemaker. The presented electrocardiographic tracings emphasize the significance of reciprocal rhythm in the genesis of paroxysmal tachycardia in infants with a transient WPW Syndrome. At the end of the second month of life the attacks of tachycardia stopped, and the electrocardiogram became normal and remained so during a total follow-up period of ten months.