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Hiccups, also known as singultus, are involuntary spasms of the diaphragm muscle followed by laryngeal closure involving a reflex arc. It is a relatively common phenomenon, usually transient and self-limiting. However, in medical settings, it could be much more serious and is often a sign of underlying pathology. When hiccups last for over 48 hours, they are referred to as persistent hiccups, and if they persist for more than a month, they are known as intractable hiccups. Current pharmacologic treatment of persistent or intractable hiccups mainly includes antidopaminergic drugs, which specifically antagonize the dopamine D2 receptor. Here, we present the case of a 54-year-old gentleman who was admitted under our care with a posterior circulation stroke specifically affecting the medulla. He was symptomatic with severe, persistent hiccups interfering with sleep and oral intake and unresponsive to all standard medications. After nearly two weeks, a trial of hydrocortisone was given, to which he responded dramatically. To the best of our knowledge, this is the only case of hiccups that has been successfully treated with hydrocortisone. The remarkable improvement seen in our patient when treated with hydrocortisone suggests hydrocortisone could be a useful agent in post-stroke hiccups that are unresponsive to traditional treatment for hiccups., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2024, Latifa et al.)

Intractable hiccups are a rare yet debilitating pathology with a broad differential and often indicate a more serious underlying pathology, which can range from neoplasms to structural abnormalities. In this case report, we present a 64-year-old male with seven months of intractable hiccups determined to be caused by eventration of the right hemidiaphragm. The patient was treated with baclofen to treat the hiccups pharmacologically. He was also prescribed voice therapy to establish rescue breathing techniques and reduce laryngospasm. Finally, he was referred to thoracic surgery for further evaluation and potential surgical intervention should his diaphragmatic eventration worsen or cause hypoxemia. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of an association between diaphragmatic eventration and intractable hiccups. It is important to highlight this addition to the broad differential of intractable hiccups and to emphasize an interdisciplinary approach to workup and treatment of intractable hiccups., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2022, Hong et al.)

The possibilities of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) to present with atypical manifestations have reported. Information of COVID-19 atypical signs and symptoms is still emerging globally. One of these presentations is persistent hiccups. One of the hypotheses is that COVID-19 has been linked to several neurological manifestations and effects. Some observations noticed phrenic nerve paralysis after COVID-19 infection leading to pulmonary failure. We report one case of COVID-19-positive patient where he presented with persistent hiccups. Many predisposing factors might lead to the development of hiccups in COVID-19 infection such as a history of smoking, phrenic and vagus nerve damage or irritation, high inflammatory markers, lower lobe pneumonia, ground-glass-like appearance on x-rays. We hypothesize that hiccups are the first sign of serious deterioration of patients with COVID-19 and such patients are at high risk of developing kidney injury and intubation., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2021, Habadi et al.)

Hiccup is a common phenomenon experienced by almost everyone in life. Although the exact physiology of this phenomenon remains unknown, it is associated with multiple central and peripheral etiologic causes. Vocal fold granulomas are benign laryngeal lesions typically caused by iatrogenic trauma, voice misuse, or chronic irritation. We present, for the first time, an association between intractable hiccups and vocal fold granulomas with good response to acupuncture and voice therapy in a 62-year-old male patient. This is an important contribution to the literature as the first report describing the co-occurrence of these pathologies in the context of a patient with several treatment failures, including vagal nerve stimulator., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2021, Martinez Paredes et al.)