Altayyar Ahmad Abdullah, Brokinkel Benjamin, Schick Uta, Fistouris Panagiotis
Department of Neurosurgery, Clemenshospital Muenster, Academic Hospital of Muenster University, Muenster, Germany.
J Neurosurg Case Lessons. 2025 May 12;9(19). doi: 10.3171/CASE2552.
Chronic continuous hiccups can significantly impair quality of life and may lead to considerable psychological stress in affected patients. Although often idiopathic, hiccups can also be caused by local compression of the brainstem.
The authors present the case of a female patient with refractory hiccups caused by brainstem compression by vertebral artery dolichoectasia. Complete recovery was achieved through an innovative surgical approach involving microsurgical decompression of the medulla oblongata, which enabled direct visualization of the vertebral artery at its transition from the extradural to intradural space.
This case highlights the potential anatomical and structural causes of intractable hiccups, underscores the importance of thorough neuroradiological evaluation, and ultimately advocates for an individualized surgical approach in such cases. https://thejns.org/doi/10.3171/CASE2552.
慢性持续性呃逆会显著损害生活质量，并可能给受影响的患者带来相当大的心理压力。呃逆虽然通常为特发性，但也可能由脑干局部受压引起。
作者介绍了一名女性患者的病例，该患者因椎动脉迂曲扩张压迫脑干而出现难治性呃逆。通过一种创新的手术方法实现了完全康复，该方法包括对延髓进行显微手术减压，从而能够在椎动脉从硬膜外间隙过渡到硬膜内间隙时直接观察到椎动脉。
该病例突出了顽固性呃逆潜在的解剖学和结构学原因，强调了全面神经放射学评估的重要性，并最终提倡针对此类病例采取个体化的手术方法。https://thejns.org/doi/10.3171/CASE2552
