Microvascular decompression for intractable singultus: technical case report.

OBJECTIVE: 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. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: The patient exhibited intractable singultus for 15 years, resistant to multiple medical regimens. INTERVENTION: Microvascular decompression to relieve pressure on the tenth cranial nerve and medulla oblongata resulted in near total resolution of the singultus. CONCLUSION: Neurovascular compression should be considered a potentially reversible cause of intractable singultus, a significantly disabling clinical phenomenon.