Hiccups and oesophageal malignancy.

CASE REPORT. A 46year old man presented with a three month history of hiccup, occurring almost daily but associated only with the swallowing of solid food. It usually settled with a glass of water, the longest attack lasting almost thirty minutes. Indeed, it was this attack which precipitated his referral. On careful questioning at the time and retrospectively, he denied any dysphagia whatsoever. There was no weight loss and appetite was good. There was no history of regurgitation. He had no respiratory symptoms but was a smoker of eight cigarettes daily. His previous medical history included an episode of concussion following a road accident two years previously and an episode of suspected renal colic.