'Hibernating' accessory pathway.

ABSTRACT

A 13-year-old boy presented with recurrent narrow QRS tachycardia from which he had been suffering for one year. An electrophysiology study revealed a concealed left lateral accessory pathway with inducible orthodromic atrioventricular re-entry tachycardia using the same pathway. The accessory pathway was ablated in January 2004. After the ablation, atrioventricular block was demonstrated (with adenosine), as was ventriculo-atrial block, and the patient had paroxysmal tachycardia one month later. This time, however, the electrocardiogram in sinus rhythm showed a negative delta wave in V1, suggestive of a right-sided accessory pathway. Another electrophysiology study showed no conduction across the left accessory pathway found earlier. The right accessory pathway, which had 'emerged' after the ablation, had an antegrade effective refractory period of 440 msec and a retrograde effective refractory period of <250 msec. Orthodromic atrioventricular re-entry tachycardia using this accessory pathway was easily inducible. The tricuspid annulus was mapped and the second accessory pathway was localized to the right anterolateral region. This was ablated successfully. This is a unique instance of a symptomatic 'hibernating' accessory pathway emerging in adolescence.