Abstract

A patient with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome type B developed 2:1 atrioventricular block resulting from the association of persistent right bundle-branch block with tachycardia-dependent (phase 3) left bundle-branch block. Electrophysiological studies disclosed the coexistence of a tachycardia-dependent (phase 3) block in the accessory pathway. This conduction disturbance was exposed, not by carotid sinus massage as in previous studies, but by pacing-induced prolongation of the interval between two consecutively conducted atrial impulses. Furthermore, the surface electrocardiogram showed, at different times, ventricular complexes resulting from: (1) exclusive atrioventricular conduction through the normal pathway without bundle-branch block; (2) predominant, or exclusive, atrioventricular conduction through a right-sided accessory pathway; (3) exclusive atrioventricular conduction through the normal pathway with right bundle-branch block; (4) exclusive conduction through the normal pathway, with left bundle-branch block; (5) fusion between (1) and (2); and finally, (6) fusion between (2) and (3) However, QRS complexes resulting from simultaneously occurring Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome type B and left bundle-branch block could not be identified. Future electrophysiological investigations should re-evaluate the criteria used to diffrentiate between true and false patterns of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome type B coexisting with left bundle-branch block.