Intractable hiccups as a presenting symptom of cerebellar hemangioblastoma

Abstract

The authors report on a 52-year-old woman with a cerebellar hemangioblastoma who presented with a 2-year history of intractable hiccups. Computerized tomography scans and magnetic resonance images revealed a cerebellar hemangioblastoma with compression of the brainstem at the level of the medulla oblongata. The patient has been free of hiccups and has been neurologically intact since the day after total removal of the tumor. A review of the literature on medullary lesions presenting with intractable hiccups is provided.