Intractable hiccups as a rare gastrointestinal manifestation in severe endocrine and metabolic crisis: case report and review of the literature

Abstract

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and thyroid storm (TS) are severe metabolic and endocrine disorders. Both usually manifest with multiple systemic clinical signs and symptoms, and digestive symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting, are most common in these patients. Moreover, the presence of a concurrent severe or rare complication may worsen the condition or even cause death due to misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis, or inappropriate treatment. The identification of these symptoms is usually closely related to the severity and prognosis of the disease. Although clinical prognosis might be improved by prompt diagnosis and aggressive treatment, some rare and insidious metabolic complications are difficult to identify early. Moreover, life-threatening gastrointestinal symptoms are very rare in patients with DKA and TS. Here, we report an inpatient diagnosed with DKA and Graves’ disease who developed life-threatening intractable hiccups resulting in TS and respiratory failure during the treatment of DKA. In addition, we review the literature to discuss the possible underlying mechanism of intractable hiccups in the development of TS.