Microvascular decompression for intractable singultus: technical case report.

Abstract

Intractable singultus is a rare but significantly disruptive clinical phenomenon that often accompanies other diseases but can present in isolation due entirely to intracranial pathology. We report a case of intractable singultus that improved after microvascular decompression and present a comprehensive review of singultus by discussing its similarity to other cases of microvascular decompression, its history and etiology, and its evolutionary basis. The patient exhibited intractable singultus for 15 years, resistant to multiple medical regimens. Microvascular decompression to relieve pressure on the tenth cranial nerve and medulla oblongata resulted in near total resolution of the singultus. Neurovascular compression should be considered a potentially reversible cause of intractable singultus, a significantly disabling clinical phenomenon.