Title: Increased oro-cecal transit time in grade I or II hepatic encephalopathy
Abstract: The pathogenic mechanisms of hepatic encephalopathy remain to be elucidated. It has been suggested that a digestive motor disorder could promote the absorption of toxins produced within the lumen and thus enhance hepatic encephalopathy.To evaluate oro-cecal transit time in cirrhotic patients with and without hepatic encephalopathy.Hospitalized patients with alcoholic cirrhosis without encephalopathy and with spontaneous grade I and II encephalopathy were included. Severity of hepatic encephalopathy was assessed clinically and the Child-Pugh score was used to describe cirrhosis severity. Nine healthy volunteers constituted a control group. Oro-cecal transit time was measured with the sulfasalazine test.Twenty-eight patients (mean age 62.5 +/- 8.5 years) were included. Ten had hepatic encephalopathy of unknown cause and 18 were free of hepatic encephalopathy. Oro-cecal transit time was significantly longer in patients with hepatic encephalopathy (641 +/- 350 min) compared to patients without hepatic encephalopathy (298 +/- 96; P<0.05) and to controls (354 +/- 90; P<0.05). Oro-cecal transit time was comparable for each Child-Pugh score and was not different between the two grades of hepatic encephalopathy.Oro-cecal transit time is longer in alcoholic cirrhosis patients with hepatic encephalopathy. This digestive motor disorder provides a partial explanation of hepatic encephalopathy of unknown etiology.
Publication Year: 2004
Publication Date: 2004-12-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref', 'pubmed']
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Cited By Count: 10
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