Ventricular preexcitation: is risk stratification feasible?

The Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome is a current debated clinical issue. Although the anatomical characteristics, polymorphic electrocardiographic features, and electrophysiological mechanisms of arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death are well known, the identification of patients at risk of sudden cardiac death remains challenging. Owing to the lack of effective therapeutic strategies, in the pre-ablation era many studies have been conducted to define the prognostic value of clinical and instrumental tests, and to define the actual risk of sudden cardiac death in patients with ventricular preexcitation. Nowadays, radiofrequency transcatheter ablation of anomalous atrioventricular pathways is a strong therapeutic option for all patients, independent of the risk of sudden cardiac death. However, radiofrequency ablation is associated with serious complications, but many studies confirm an overall good prognosis for most of the patients with electrocardiographic pattern of ventricular preexcitation. The aim of this review is to assess the prognostic value of clinical and instrumental tests in patients with ventricular preexcitation, referring to the latest knowledge.