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. 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 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 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.