January 1998, Volume 7, Issue 1, Pages 49 – 50

Case Report

Refractory hiccough heralding transverse myelitis in the primary antiphospholipid syndrome GJ Ruiz-Argüelles1,2,5, J Guzmán-Ramos3, J Flores-Flores4 & J Garay-Martínez3 1Centro de Hematología y Medicina Interna de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico     2Laboratorios Clínicos de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico     3Hospital Guadalupe, Puebla, Mexico     4Unidad de Radiología de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico     5Correspondence: Dr GJ Ruiz-Argüelles, Centro de Hematología y Medicina Interna de Puebla, 8B Sur 3710, 72530 Puebla, Pue, Mexico.

Keywords

myelitis;   transverse;   hiccough;   antiphospholipid antibodies;   antiphospholipid syndrome

Abstract

The case of a 32-year-old female patient with a primary form of the antiphospholipid syndrome is presented. The initial symptom was a pathological form of hiccough, refractory to conventional therapy that was followed, weeks later, by a full-blown picture of transverse myelitis. Despite the fact that transverse myelitis has been described as associated with the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies, we could not find the description of refractory hiccough as the initial manifestation of the antiphospholipid syndrome. The administration of steroids, heparin and plasmapheresis resulted in resolution of the neurological symptoms.

Received 2 September 1997; Accepted 23 September 1997

^© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 1997