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Butt E, Zamora E, Shabot JM. An Unusual Cause of Intractable Hiccups. ACG Case Rep J 2023; 10:e01073. [PMID: 37312753 PMCID: PMC10259643 DOI: 10.14309/crj.0000000000001073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Hiccups are a minor nuisance for most people and usually resolve within minutes. However, for some, they can persist for years and result in severe symptoms and even death. This case report describes a patient found to have a mediastinal lipoma resulting in intractable hiccups. The discussion highlights the pathophysiology, etiologies, and treatments of hiccups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward Butt
- Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX
| | - Ernesto Zamora
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX
| | - J. Marc Shabot
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX
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Mainka T, Balint B, Gövert F, Kurvits L, van Riesen C, Kühn AA, Tijssen MAJ, Lees AJ, Müller-Vahl K, Bhatia KP, Ganos C. The spectrum of involuntary vocalizations in humans: A video atlas. Mov Disord 2019; 34:1774-1791. [PMID: 31651053 DOI: 10.1002/mds.27855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Revised: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In clinical practice, involuntary vocalizing behaviors are typically associated with Tourette syndrome and other tic disorders. However, they may also be encountered throughout the entire tenor of neuropsychiatry, movement disorders, and neurodevelopmental syndromes. Importantly, involuntary vocalizing behaviors may often constitute a predominant clinical sign, and, therefore, their early recognition and appropriate classification are necessary to guide diagnosis and treatment. Clinical literature and video-documented cases on the topic are surprisingly scarce. Here, we pooled data from 5 expert centers of movement disorders, with instructive video material to cover the entire range of involuntary vocalizations in humans. Medical literature was also reviewed to document the range of possible etiologies associated with the different types of vocalizing behaviors and to explore treatment options. We propose a phenomenological classification of involuntary vocalizations within different categorical domains, including (1) tics and tic-like vocalizations, (2) vocalizations as part of stereotypies, (3) vocalizations as part of dystonia or chorea, (4) continuous vocalizing behaviors such as groaning or grunting, (5) pathological laughter and crying, (6) vocalizations resembling physiological reflexes, and (7) other vocalizations, for example, those associated with exaggerated startle responses, as part of epilepsy and sleep-related phenomena. We provide comprehensive lists of their associated etiologies, including neurodevelopmental, neurodegenerative, neuroimmunological, and structural causes and clinical clues. We then expand on the pathophysiology of the different vocalizing behaviors and comment on available treatment options. Finally, we present an algorithmic approach that covers the wide range of involuntary vocalizations in humans, with the ultimate goal of improving diagnostic accuracy and guiding appropriate treatment. © 2019 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Mainka
- Department of Neurology, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Bettina Balint
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK.,Department of Neurology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Felix Gövert
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Lille Kurvits
- Department of Neurology, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christoph van Riesen
- Department of Neurology, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Neurology, University Medicine Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Andrea A Kühn
- Department of Neurology, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marina A J Tijssen
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Andrew J Lees
- Reta Lila Weston Institute of Neurological Studies, UCL, Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Kirsten Müller-Vahl
- Clinic of Psychiatry, Socialpsychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Kailash P Bhatia
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Christos Ganos
- Department of Neurology, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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Walther LE. Current diagnostic procedures for diagnosing vertigo and dizziness. GMS CURRENT TOPICS IN OTORHINOLARYNGOLOGY, HEAD AND NECK SURGERY 2017; 16:Doc02. [PMID: 29279722 PMCID: PMC5738933 DOI: 10.3205/cto000141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Vertigo is a multisensory syndrome that otolaryngologists are confronted with every day. With regard to the complex functions of the sense of orientation, vertigo is considered today as a disorder of the sense of direction, a disturbed spatial perception of the body. Beside the frequent classical syndromes for which vertigo is the leading symptom (e.g. positional vertigo, vestibular neuritis, Menière’s disease), vertigo may occur as main or accompanying symptom of a multitude of ENT-related diseases involving the inner ear. It also concerns for example acute and chronic viral or bacterial infections of the ear with serous or bacterial labyrinthitis, disorders due to injury (e.g. barotrauma, fracture of the oto-base, contusion of the labyrinth), chronic-inflammatory bone processes as well as inner ear affections in the perioperative course. In the last years, diagnostics of vertigo have experienced a paradigm shift due to new diagnostic possibilities. In the diagnostics of emergency cases, peripheral and central disorders of vertigo (acute vestibular syndrome) may be differentiated with simple algorithms. The introduction of modern vestibular test procedures (video head impulse test, vestibular evoked myogenic potentials) in the clinical practice led to new diagnostic options that for the first time allow a complex objective assessment of all components of the vestibular organ with relatively low effort. Combined with established methods, a frequency-specific assessment of the function of vestibular reflexes is possible. New classifications allow a clinically better differentiation of vertigo syndromes. Modern radiological procedures such as for example intratympanic gadolinium application for Menière’s disease with visualization of an endolymphatic hydrops also influence current medical standards. Recent methodical developments significantly contributed to the possibilities that nowadays vertigo can be better and more quickly clarified in particular in otolaryngology.
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Abstract
The cellular and circuit mechanisms generating the rhythm of breathing in mammals have been under intense investigation for decades. Here, we try to integrate the key discoveries into an updated description of the basic neural processes generating respiratory rhythm under in vivo conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diethelm W Richter
- Department of Neuro- and Sensory Physiology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany; and Cellular and Systems Neurobiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, Maryland
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Shevtsova NA, Büsselberg D, Molkov YI, Bischoff AM, Smith JC, Richter DW, Rybak IA. Effects of glycinergic inhibition failure on respiratory rhythm and pattern generation. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2014; 209:25-38. [PMID: 24746041 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-63274-6.00002-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Inhibitory interactions between neurons of the respiratory network are involved in rhythm generation and pattern formation. Using a computational model of brainstem respiratory networks, we investigated the possible effects of suppressing glycinergic inhibition on the activity of different respiratory neuron types. Our study revealed that progressive suppression of glycinergic inhibition affected all neurons of the network and disturbed neural circuits involved in termination of inspiration. Causal was a dysfunction of postinspiratory inhibition targeting inspiratory neurons, which often led to irregular preterm reactivation of these neurons, producing double or multiple short-duration inspiratory bursts. An increasing blockade of glycinergic inhibition led to apneustic inspiratory activity. Similar disturbances of glycinergic inhibition also occur during hypoxia. A clear difference in prolonged hypoxia, however, is that the rhythm terminates in expiratory apnea. The critical function of glycinergic inhibition for normal respiratory rhythm generation and the consequences of its reduction, including in pathological conditions, are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia A Shevtsova
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | | | - Yaroslav I Molkov
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Mathematical Sciences, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Anne M Bischoff
- Department of Neuro- and Sensory Physiology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany; Excellence Cluster Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jeffrey C Smith
- Cellular and Systems Neurobiology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Diethelm W Richter
- Department of Neuro- and Sensory Physiology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany; Excellence Cluster Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ilya A Rybak
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Bredenoord AJ. Management of belching, hiccups, and aerophagia. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2013; 11:6-12. [PMID: 22982101 DOI: 10.1016/j.cgh.2012.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2012] [Revised: 08/27/2012] [Accepted: 09/04/2012] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Although belching and hiccups are regarded as normal behaviors, they can occur at high frequency or become persistent, becoming bothersome and requiring medical care. Patients with excessive belching frequently have supragastric belches. Excessive belching should be treated as a behavioral disorder. Persistent hiccups, however, can be the first presentation of a serious disorder that requires extensive diagnostic testing. When no cause is found, only the symptoms can be treated. Aerophagia is an episodic or chronic disorder in which patients (children and adults) swallow large quantities of air, which accumulate in the gastrointestinal tract to cause abdominal distention and bloating. These patients should not undergo explorative laparotomy because they do not have ileus. New treatment approaches are needed for patients with aerophagia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert J Bredenoord
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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Chang FY, Lu CL. Hiccup: mystery, nature and treatment. J Neurogastroenterol Motil 2012; 18:123-30. [PMID: 22523721 PMCID: PMC3325297 DOI: 10.5056/jnm.2012.18.2.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2011] [Revised: 02/01/2012] [Accepted: 02/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
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 peripheral phrenic, vagal and sympathetic pathways and central midbrain modulation is likely responsible for hiccup. Accordingly, any irritant in terms of physical/chemical factors, inflammation, neoplasia invading the arc leads to hiccups. The central causes of hiccup include stroke, space occupying lesions and injury etc, whereas peripheral causes include lesions along the arc such as tumors, myocardial ischemia, herpes infection, gastroesophageal reflux disease and applied instrumentations on human body etc. Besides, various drugs (eg, anti-parkinsonism drugs, anesthetic agents, steroids and chemotherapies etc) are the possible etiology. An effective treatment of persistent hiccup may be established upon the correct diagnosis of lesion responsible for the serious event. The pharmacotherapy of hiccup includes chlorpromazine, gabapentin, baclofen, serotonergic agonists, prokinetics and lidocaine. Non-pharmacological approaches such as nerve blockade, pacing, acupuncture and measures to hold breathing are also successful. Finally, alternative medicines and remedies are convenient to treat hiccups with uncertain effect. In conclusions, hiccup is likely to result from lesions involving the hiccup reflex arc. The lesion may need to be localized correctly for ablative treatment in patients with intractable hiccup. Apart from lesion ablation, drugs acting on reflex arc may be effective, while some other conventional measures may also be tried.
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Affiliation(s)
- Full-Young Chang
- Environmental Health and Safety Office, Division of Gastroenterology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
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