Accessory pathway and atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia

Abstract Approximately half of all paroxysmal supraventricular arrhythmias are atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT), more common in women than in men. The circuit usually contains two anatomical pathways, one fast and one slow. Both are placed in the right atrium. The tissue of these pathways has similar conduction properties as the atrioventricular node and is often perceived as a part of the atrioventricular node. AVNRT usually occurs before 40 years of age. This particular arrhythmia is described in detail in a different chapter of this book (Porter et al., 2004).