Jared Sweeney1, Alexa Bodman1, Walter A Hall2. 1. Department of Neurosurgery, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, USA. 2. Department of Neurosurgery, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, USA. Electronic address: hallw@upstate.edu.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Brain abscesses are well-known to neurologic surgeons with well-recognized presentations, which include seizures, neurologic deficit, and headache. Rare symptoms may lead to a delay in diagnosis, which can be life threatening in the setting of a brain abscess. CASE DESCRIPTION: We present the case of a 46-year-old male with intractable hiccups found to have an abscess of the right basal ganglia. The brain abscess was treated by frameless stereotactic-guided aspiration. The patient's hiccups improved after surgical aspiration and medical management. CONCLUSIONS: A comprehensive literature review confirmed brain abscess as a rare cause of intractable hiccups. In addition, there are few reports of lesions of the basal ganglia causing intractable hiccups. Aspiration and medical therapy resulted in resolution of the hiccups. Knowledge of the hiccup reflex arc and unusual presentation of basal ganglia lesions may shorten time to diagnosis.
BACKGROUND: Brain abscesses are well-known to neurologic surgeons with well-recognized presentations, which include seizures, neurologic deficit, and headache. Rare symptoms may lead to a delay in diagnosis, which can be life threatening in the setting of a brain abscess. CASE DESCRIPTION: We present the case of a 46-year-old male with intractable hiccups found to have an abscess of the right basal ganglia. The brain abscess was treated by frameless stereotactic-guided aspiration. The patient's hiccups improved after surgical aspiration and medical management. CONCLUSIONS: A comprehensive literature review confirmed brain abscess as a rare cause of intractable hiccups. In addition, there are few reports of lesions of the basal ganglia causing intractable hiccups. Aspiration and medical therapy resulted in resolution of the hiccups. Knowledge of the hiccup reflex arc and unusual presentation of basal ganglia lesions may shorten time to diagnosis.