Hiccups and esophageal dysfunction.
Presented herein are the detailed esophageal manometric, radiologic, ambulatory pH, and scintigraphic findings from a patient who developed protracted and recurrent hiccups (singultus) after a lateral medullary infarction. Because of the usually transient and benign nature of hiccups, previous reports on esophageal dysfunction during hiccups have been sporadic and confined to manometric findings. Utilizing various esophageal function techniques, the main features observed during hiccups were esophageal body dilation and aperistalsis, absent lower esophageal sphincter relaxation in response to swallowing, poor emptying of the distal two-thirds of the esophageal body, and low distal esophageal pH. Most of these features normalized in the absence of hiccups. A comparison is made of these findings during prolonged hiccups with those of esophageal achalasia.
Triadafilopoulos
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G
Evans Memorial Department for Clinical Research, University Hospital, Boston University School of Medicine, Massachusetts.
D000368:Aged; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000150:complications; D004935:Esophageal Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D004945:Esophagoscopy; D006606:Hiccup / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008297:Male; D008365:Manometry; D012008:Recurrence