[Influence of age on the presumed cause of syncope in patients with the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome].

The aim of this study was to assess the causes of syncope in patients with the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (WPW) and to determine whether the age of the patients was a significant factor. Forty-seven patients with a WPW, aged 11 to 72 years, underwent electrophysiological study by the oesophageal approach because of an unexplained syncope. Nineteen patients were under 20 years of age (16 +/- 3 years: group I) and 28 were over 20 years of age (40 +/- 13 years: group II). Junctional tachycardia was induced in 8 patients of group I (42%) and in 13 of group II (46%) (NS); atrial fibrillation was induced in 8 patients of group I (42%) and in 9 of group II (35%) (NS). A potentially malignant form of WPW was identified in 8 patients of group I (42%) and in 11 of group II (39%) (NS); Syncope was directly attributed to the WPW in 14 patients of group I (74%) and in 19 of group II (78%), either after identification of a serious form or induction of junctional tachycardia (6 patients of group I and 8 of group II). The rest of the syncopal episodes had various causes. There were no deaths. The authors conclude that oesophageal electrophysiological investigations enable rapid identification of a high incidence of tachycardias probably responsible for syncope in WPW. The causes of syncope and incidence of potentially severe forms of WPW were not significantly influenced by the age of the patients.