The pathogenic mechanisms of hepatic encephalopathy remain to be elucidated. It has been suggested that a digestive motor disorder could promote the absorpti on of toxins produced within the lumen and thus enhance hep...The pathogenic mechanisms of hepatic encephalopathy remain to be elucidated. It has been suggested that a digestive motor disorder could promote the absorpti on of toxins produced within the lumen and thus enhance hepatic encephalopathy. Aim - To evaluate oro- cecal transit time in cirrhotic patients with and with out hepatic encephalopathy. Methods - Hospitalized patients with alcoholic cir rhosis without encephalopathy and with spontaneous grade I and II encephalopathy were included. Severity of hepatic encephalopathy was assessed clinically and t he Child- Pugh score was used to describe cirrhosis severity. Nine healthy volu nteers constituted a control group. Oro- cecal transit time was measured with t he sulfasalazine test. Results - Twenty- eight patients (mean age 62.5 ± 8. 5 years) were included. Ten had hepatic encephalopathy of unknown cause and 18 w ere free of hepatic encephalopathy. Oro- cecal transit time was significantly l onger in patients with hepatic encephalopathy (641 ± 350 min) compared to pati ents 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. C onclusion Oro- cecal transit time is longer in alcoholic cirrhosis patients wi th hepatic encephalopathy. This digestive motor disorder provides a partial expl anation of hepatic encephalopathy of unknown etiology.展开更多
文摘The pathogenic mechanisms of hepatic encephalopathy remain to be elucidated. It has been suggested that a digestive motor disorder could promote the absorpti on of toxins produced within the lumen and thus enhance hepatic encephalopathy. Aim - To evaluate oro- cecal transit time in cirrhotic patients with and with out hepatic encephalopathy. Methods - Hospitalized patients with alcoholic cir rhosis without encephalopathy and with spontaneous grade I and II encephalopathy were included. Severity of hepatic encephalopathy was assessed clinically and t he Child- Pugh score was used to describe cirrhosis severity. Nine healthy volu nteers constituted a control group. Oro- cecal transit time was measured with t he sulfasalazine test. Results - Twenty- eight patients (mean age 62.5 ± 8. 5 years) were included. Ten had hepatic encephalopathy of unknown cause and 18 w ere free of hepatic encephalopathy. Oro- cecal transit time was significantly l onger in patients with hepatic encephalopathy (641 ± 350 min) compared to pati ents 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. C onclusion Oro- cecal transit time is longer in alcoholic cirrhosis patients wi th hepatic encephalopathy. This digestive motor disorder provides a partial expl anation of hepatic encephalopathy of unknown etiology.
