Chronic hiccup is an infrequent but distressing symptom in patients with advanced cancer. A series of drugs (chlorpromazine, haloperidol, nifedipine, metoclopramide, baclofen) have been used to treat hiccup without definitive results. Some authors have suggested a possible role of baclofen in the treatment of chronic hiccup. We report three cases of chronic hiccup in patients with cancer succes...

Chronic hiccup is a rare but potentially severe condition, that can be symptomatic of a variety of diseases, or idiopathic. Many therapeutic interventions have been reported, most often as case reports. Among other drugs, baclofen has been suggested as a therapy for chronic hiccup. In a large series of patients, we have evaluated its therapeutic position. In patients with chronic hiccup, define...

A case of intractable hiccup developed by cavernous hemangioma in the medulla oblongata is reported. There have been only five previously reported cases of medullary cavernoma that triggered intractable hiccup. The patient was a 28-year-old man who was presented with intractable hiccup for 15 days. It developed suddenly, then aggravated progressively and did not respond to any types of medicati...

Hiccup is the sudden onset of erratic diaphragmatic and intercostal muscle contraction and immediately followed by laryngeal closure. The abrupt air rush into lungs elicits a "hic" sound. Hiccup is usually a self-limited disorder; however, when it is prolonged beyond 48 hours, it is considered persistent whereas episodes longer than 2 months are called intractable. A reflex arc involving periph...

Persistent hiccup is a rare but potentially severe condition that can be symptomatic of a variety of diseases or idiopathic. Most episodes last only a few minutes and are self-limited, but hiccup can get persistent and become a real problem for physician and patient alike. The center of hiccup may be activated by a great variety of stimuli travelling along different nerve pathways and bring dif...

A rare case of persistent intractable hiccup as presenting symptom of cavernous angioma in the medulla oblongata is reported. Pathophysiologic hypotheses about the triggering mechanism of hiccup are discussed, with special reference to the causes affecting the central nervous system. A review of the literature concerning medullary lesions presenting with persistent hiccup is also reported. Fina...

A case of persistent hiccup associated with cavitating pulmonary tuberculosis is reported. Though tuberculosis presenting with hiccup is rare, tuberculosis is again on the increase and clinicians should remain alert to the possibility of this diagnosis.

Why do we hiccup? Considering the fact that almost everyone experiences hiccups at one time or another, remarkably little is known about them. The name itself is onomatopoeic, which is appropriate considering that the only common understanding of the hiccup is of the characteristic sound. Hiccups can be predictably elicited in some individuals by overindulgence of food, alcohol, or both, someti...