Microvascular decompression for intractable singultus: technical case report
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Updated: Jul 4, 2026
Microvascular Decompression: Salient Surgical Principles and Technical Nuances
Published on: July 5, 2011
Azadeh Farin1, Indro Chakrabarti, Steven L Giannotta
1Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Southern California University Hospital, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA.
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.