Non-erosive reflux disease manifested exclusively by protracted hiccups

Hiccups are a benign physiological feature affecting almost everyone at one time or another. They tend to be short-lived and do not affect quality of life; however, there are various pathologies that may present with long-lasting hiccups. These are grouped into 3 categories according to their duration: acute, persistent and intractable or protracted hiccups. Intractable hiccups last longer than 2 months and are usually associated with more severe conditions. The association between intractable hiccups and reflux disease has not been previously documented by objective methods. This report describes the case of a 23-year-old female who presented with protracted hiccups; all other organic pathologies were ruled out, and endoscopy and conventional pH-metry confirmed a diagnosis of non-erosive reflux disease as the unique cause.