Curriculum for neurogastroenterology and motility training: A report from the joint ANMS-ESNM task force.

Although neurogastroenterology and motility (NGM) disorders are some of the most frequent disorders encountered by practicing gastroenterologists, a structured competency-based training curriculum developed by NGM experts is lacking. The American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society (ANMS) and the European Society of Neurogastroenterology and Motility (ESNM) jointly evaluated the components of NGM training in North America and Europe. Eleven training domains were identified within NGM, consisting of functional gastrointestinal disorders, visceral hypersensitivity and pain pathways, motor disorders within anatomic areas (esophagus, stomach, small bowel and colon, anorectum), mucosal disorders (gastro-esophageal reflux disease, other mucosal disorders), consequences of systemic disease, consequences of therapy (surgery, endoscopic intervention, medications, other therapy), and transition of pediatric patients into adult practice. A 3-tiered training curriculum covering these domains is proposed here and endorsed by all NGM societies. Tier 1 NGM knowledge and training is expected of all gastroenterology trainees and practicing gastroenterologists. Tier 2 knowledge and training is appropriate for trainees who anticipate NGM disorder management and NGM function test interpretation being an important part of their careers, which may require competency assessment and credentialing of test interpretation skills. Tier 3 knowledge and training is undertaken by trainees interested in a dedicated NGM career and may be restricted to specific domains within the broad NGM field. The joint ANMS and ESNM task force anticipates that the NGM curriculum will streamline NGM training in North America and Europe and will lead to better identification of centers of excellence where Tier 2 and Tier 3 training can be accomplished.

EXTRADIGESTIVE MANIFESTATIONS OF GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISEASE: DEMOGRAPHIC, CLINICAL, BIOLOGICAL AND ENDOSCOPIC FEATURES.

UNLABELLED: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) with extradigestive manifestations is a disorder increasingly recognized both by gastroenterologists, pneumologists, otolaryngologists and cardiologists. AIM: To evaluate the demographical, clinical, biological and endoscopic features of the patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease and extradigestive manifestations (chronic laryngitis, asthma, pseudoangina). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Prospective case-control study, including 137 patients selected from patients referred to the Iasi Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology between July 2014-September 2015. In the presence of typical GERD symptoms (heartburn or regurgitation), the patients were assessed by upper digestive endoscopy for the detection or exclusion of esophagitis. Despite the absence of esophageal lesions, the patients were further assessed by impedance-pHmetry. RESULTS: Depending on the dominant extradigestive manifestation, the patients were assigned into 3 groups: 94 chronic laryngitis patients, 24 asthma patients and 19 pseudoangina patients. Females were more frequent among pseudoangina patients (68.4%). Mean age of the male patients with dysphonia or asthma was lower (p=0.002), the majority (78.1%) living in urban areas. Obesity was predominant in pseudoangina group (52.6%), as compared to dysphonia group (16%) the differences being statistically significant (p=0.002). A share of 57.9% of pseudoangina patients were dyslipidemic, in contrast to dysphonia (24.5%) or asthma group (37.5%) (p=0.013). Esophagitis was also more frequent at pseudoangina group (84.2%), but with no significant statistical difference between the study groups (79.8% and 75%, respectively) (p=0.115). It seems that Helicobacterpylori infection tends to be protective in patients with GERD and pseudoangina (RR=0.61), but it can not be extrapolated to the general population (p=0.459). CONCLUSION: GERD with extradigestive manifestations is a prevalent and heterogeneous disease. There are demographic, clinical, biological and endoscopic differences between patiens with extradigestive GERD.

Phenotyping of subjects for large scale studies on patients with IBS.

BACKGROUND: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a complex condition with multiple factors contributing to its aetiology and pathophysiology. Aetiologically these include genetics, life-time events and environment, and physiologically, changes in motility, central processing, visceral sensitivity, immunity, epithelial permeability and gastrointestinal microflora. Such complexity means there is currently no specific reliable biomarker for IBS, and thus IBS continues to be diagnosed and classified according to symptom based criteria, the Rome Criteria. Carefully phenotyping and characterisation of a 'large' pool of IBS patients across Europe and even the world however, might help identify sub-populations with accuracy and consistency. This will not only aid future research but improve tailoring of treatment and health care of IBS patients. PURPOSE: The aim of this position paper is to discuss the requirements necessary to standardize the process of selecting and phenotyping IBS patients and how to organise the collection and storage of patient information/samples in such a large multi-centre pan European/global study. We include information on general demographics, gastrointestinal symptom assessment, psychological factors, quality of life, physiological evaluation, genetic/epigenetic and microbiota analysis, biopsy/blood sampling, together with discussion on the organisational, ethical and language issues associated with implementing such a study. The proposed approach and documents selected to be used in such a study was the result of a thoughtful and thorough four-year dialogue amongst experts associated with the European COST action BM1106 GENIEUR (www.GENIEUR.eu).

IMPLICATIONS OF GHRELIN AXIS IN BREAST CANCER--REVIEW.

Breast cancer is, by far, the most frequent cancer among women and many factors influence the physiological and pathological growth and development of the mammary gland. There is developing evidence that the hormone ghrelin, known for the growth hormone releasing effect and food intake modulator, could also play a role in the pathogenesis of breast cancer and may represent a new diagnostic marker and a potential therapeutic target. We performed a PubMed Database search of relevant studies and ten papers were included in our systematic review. Ghrelin axis seems to be definitely involved in the pathogenesis of breast cancer, although a precise role has not been yet established. In order to verify the precise role of ghrelin axis in breast cancer further studies with larger populations are necessary that should include the analysis of metabolic, genetic and environmental factors which are expected to influence the results.

NONALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE AND ITS COMPLICATIONS--ASSESSING THE POPULATION AT RISK. A SMALL SERIES REPORT AND LITERATURE REVIEW.

UNLABELLED: The aim of the study was to highlight correlations between serum biochemical markers and different degrees of liver inflammation or fibrosis revealed by liver biopsy in morbidly obese patients. We also wanted to emphasize that the occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is increasingly associated with obesity, metabolic syndrome and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A clinical retrospective study was carried out on a series of 13 patients operated for morbid obesity in our surgical unit. Included in this study were only the obese patients referred for bariatric surgery without other risk factors for liver disease and in whom a liver biopsy was taken during metabolic surgery. RESULTS: The pathology report revealed different stages of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in all 13 patients: pathological features of steatohepatitis (7 patients), hepatic steatosis (5 patients) and lesions specific for evolving cirrhosis (1 patient). Regardless of the pathological changes of the liver, except the patient with evolving cirrhosis, none of these patients showed changes in classical liver function blood tests. DISCUSSIONS: Hepatic alteration in obese patients, ranging from simple steatosis to steatohepatitis or even cirrhosis, is not always correlated with the values of classical biological liver function tests. Literature data suggest the involvement of adipokines in the development and progression of steatosis as the hepatic expression of metabolic and chronic inflammation syndrome occurring in obese patients. Furthermore, these proteins secreted by adipose tissue seem to be related to the HCC occurrence. However, none of these studies show the exact pathway followed by the hepatic cell from simple fatty liver to hepatocellular carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS: finding and selecting the population at risk for fatty liver disease progression and for HCC development among obese patients is mandatory.

PSYCHOMETRIC HEPATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY SCORE FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF MINIMAL HEPATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY IN ROMANIAN CIRRHOTIC PATIENTS--PARTIAL RESULTS.

UNLABELLED: In Romania, minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) is underdiagnosed and undertreated in patients with liver cirrhosis. The psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score (PHES) is recommended as the first-line tool for the diagnosis of MHE. AIM: To use PHES in a group of Romanian cirrhotic patients and highlight the relationships between demographic and biological factors and tests results. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Of the 148 patients with liver cirrhosis admitted to the Iasi Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology between August 2014 and February 2015 only 80 who met the eligibility criteria were enrolled and completed the study. Blood samples for routine tests and serum ammonia were collected from all patients on the day of PHES evaluation. RESULTS: In the study group (n = 80) mean age was 57.7 ± 8.5 years, and the average number of years of education was 11.2 ± 2.7. The main causes of cirrhosis were alcohol consumption (31 patients--38.8%), hepatitis C virus infection (29 patients--36.3%) and hepatitis B virus infection (17 patients--21.3%). Age, number of years of education, severity of liver disease (measured by using Child-Pugh and MELD scores) and some biological constants (albumin, bilirubin, International Normalized Ratio-INR) were significantly correlated (p < 0.05) with most psychometric tests. CONCLUSIONS: PHES is a practical, objective and useful method for the diagnosis of MHE. Demographic and biological factors correlated with the results of the psychometric test. The PHES requires standardization before applying it in Romanian cirrhotic patients.

Current concepts in minimal hepatic encephalopathy.

Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) defines the presence of neurocognitive impairments in patients with cirrhosis or portal-systemic shunting that show a normal neurologic and psychiatric status on clinical examination. Although ammonia has the central role in MHE pathogenesis, factors such as infection, oxidative stress, manganese or intestinal bacterial overgrowth contribute to the development of the neurocognitive deficits associated with this disease. Many methods have proven useful in identifying MHE but because of the major drawbacks (standardization requirements, high price, sophisticated equipment, and limited access) a gold-standard test is still missing. Although beneficial, the treatment of MHE is not routinely recommended and should be taken into consideration in patients at risk for accidents and in those with cognitive complaints or decline in work performance.

THE TRIBES AND TRIBULATIONS OF LARYNGOPHARYNGEAL REFLUX: A REVIEW OF RECENT STUDIES WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR INTERDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATIONS BETWEEN OTOLARYNGOLOGISTS AND GASTROENTEROLOGISTS.

Laryngopharyngeal reflux has been recognized since 2006 (Montreal Consensus) as an extradigestive manifestation of gastroesophageal reflux disease. However, despite numerous research studies, the relationship between these two pathologies is yet to be fully understood. The aim of this paper is to review the literature of the last five years available via the PubMed database, looking at the controversies about the prevalence, pathophysiology and diagnosis of laryngopharyngeal reflux.

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth is associated to symptoms in irritable bowel syndrome. Evidence from a multicentre study in Romania.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is involved in the pathogenesis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). It has been suggested that by treating SIBO in IBS, symptoms may be improved. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of SIBO in patients with IBS compared with healthy volunteers (HV), to assess the effect of an intestinal antibiotic in eradicating SIBO and on the symptoms, in patients with IBS. METHODS: Design: a cross-sectional multicentre study with cohort comparison performed in 6 medical centers from Romania. 331 consecutive patients diagnosed with IBS according to Rome III criteria and 105 HV were screened for SIBO using glucose hydrogen breath test (GHBT). Positive patients received 7 days therapy with the antibiotic rifaximin 1200 mg/day and were retested 1 week after completing the treatment. The IBS symptoms were assessed before and after treatment. The group was controlled with 20 age and sex matched IBS patients who did not receive any antibiotic therapy for their condition (control patients). RESULTS: SIBO was found in 105 patients with IBS (31.7%) and in 7 HV (6.6%) (OR= 6.5, p < 0.0001). Patients with IBS have been classified according to Rome III criteria into 4 groups: IBS-constipation, IBS-diarrhea, IBS-mixed (alternation of constipation/and diarrhea) and IBS-unclassified. Diarrhea and mixed symptoms were found to be predictive for SIBO (OR= 2.5 for IBS-diarrhea and OR = 2.23 for mixed). Among patients with SIBO, 85.5% were found negative after treatment (p = 0.0026). SIBO patients showed an important relief of their symptoms, with complete improvement in 46.6% and partial in 31.4%. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to estimate the prevalence of SIBO in ibs patients from Romania (31.7%). SIBO was present in nearly half of the IBS-D patients (45.7%). Rifaximin is effective in treating SIBO in IBS patients and controlled trials are warranted.

Unmasking a young adult migratory deep venous thrombosis--case report.

Venous thromboembolism is a known complication of cancer which impacts on patient mortality and quality of life. The primary site of cancer is an important risk factor, with highest rates observed in patients with brain, pancreas, gastric, kidney, ovary and lung cancers. The extent of metastatic spread further adds to the risk. In this article, we present the case of a young patient who was diagnosed with an aggressive form of pancreatic neoplasm with secondary determinations, without any previous digestive symptoms, with the occasion of a recurrent and migratory deep venous thrombosis (DVT).

Overweight and gastrointestinal symptoms among adults of working age in Iasi City, Romania.

UNLABELLED: The objectives were to determine the presence of gastrointestinal symptoms and overweight in a sample of working age adults, from Iasi city (North-East Romania) and relationship with eating habits. MATERIAL AND METHODS: For this survey a sample was randomly chosen from family doctors records and 158 adults participated (65 males and 93 females, aged 19-64 years). Eating habits and food-frequency questionnaires were conducted, and Body Mass Index (BMI), waist and Body Fat Percent (FAT) were measured. For recent symptoms we used Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS). RESULTS: 43.1% of male and 47.3% of female were overweight and 21.5% of male and 21.6% of female were obese. The total body fat exceeded its normal limits in 70.8% of men and in 32.3% of women. Waist was high (abdominal obesity) in 49.5% of women and in 26.2% of men. Present gastrointestinal symptoms were: reflux (23.4%), abdominal pain (8.9%), indigestion (32.9%), diarrhea (6.3%) and constipation (8.9%). Overweight or obese subjects accused reflux, indigestion (p < 0.01) and constipation (p < 0.05) more frequently than those with normal weight. Odd ratio value and 95% confidence interval for obese versus normal weighted subjects was 8.23 (2.15-37.58) for reflux and 11.65 (3.34-45.5) for indigestion. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings up-date epidemiological data and suggest the need to promote healthy eating habits in order to reduce the tendency of obesity and to improve digestive function in population.

Malignant tumors of digestive organs and liver metastases at the time of diagnosis.

AIM: Malignant tumors localized in the digestive tract have a tendency to local growth and invasion with lymph node metastasis. Distant metastases through blood with prevalent liver location are detected late in disease progression, in an advanced stage, when therapeutic possibilities are often limited to palliative therapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included a series of 139 patients with liver metastases admitted to the Center of Gastroenterology and Hepatology lasi between January 1 and October 10, 2011 for the identification of primitive tumor. The patients were investigated by endoscopy, imaging, laboratory tests including tumor markers. RESULTS: At 99 of the patients (71%) we identified primitive digestive tumors, in 19 patients (13.6%) we found tumors with extradigestive location and in 21 patients (15%) the primitive tumor could not be identified. Primitive.tumor was located in various segments of the digestive tract, liver, and pancreas was follows: esophagus 4 - (4%), eso-cardial-tuberositary 2 - (2%), eso-cardial-tuberositary with pancreatic invasion 1 -(1%), stomach 15 - (15%), ileocolon 1 - (1%), colon 19 - (19%), rectum 12 - (12%), liver, multicentric hepatolcellular carcinoma 23 - (23%) billiary tract - cholangiocarcinoma 2 (2%), pancreas 2 - (20%). In a series of 586 patients with malignant tumors of the digestive organs referred to the Iasi Oncology Outpatient Unit between January 1 and September 30, 2011, 132 patients (23%) had liver metastases at the time of diagnosis; the most common locations were the stomach 41% cases (42/119 patients), followed by the pancreas, 35%, and colon 31% patients (28/79 patients and 37/119 patients, respectively). Males were most affected, regardless of primitive tumor. CONCLUSIONS: Although diagnostic and therapeutic methods have made remarkable progress in recent years, these tumors, by their frequency and advanced stage at diagnosis, remain both an oncologic and public health problem mainly due to the limitations of curative treatment.

Laryngeal morphological changes due to gastroesophageal reflux disease.

UNLABELLED: Chronic laryngitis may have life impact on professional voice users. Besides smoking and excessive alcohol intake, GERD is a determiniing factor in the etiology of dysphonia. AIM: To evaluate the laryngeal alteration due to GERD in professional voice users. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 96 vocal professionals (teachers, actors, singers and priests), 58 males and 38 females, with a mean age of 38.3 +/- 7.5 years, presented for chronic laryngeal symptoms. The patients filled out a standardized questionnaire and were examined laryngoscopically. RESULTS: Laryngeal changes were scaled 0 (absence) to 7 (maximum) - arytenoid edema (5.07 +/- 1.08), interarytenoid edema (6.18 +/- 1.12), vocal folds edema (5.67 +/- 1.04), ventricular bands edema (4.96 +/- 0.97), laryngeal edema 4.12 +/- 0.83). CONCLUSIONS: Laryngoscopic changes may suggest the concomitance of GERD in professional voice users with dysphonia.

[Liver cirrhosis--procoagulant stasis]. / Ciroza hepatica--stare procoagulanta?

Abnormal hemostasis tests and bleeding are often associated in liver cirrhosis. In these patients the balance between hypo- and hypercoagulation status is more fragile than in healthy people. In the hemostatic abnormalities associated with chronic liver disease are two main chategory factors: favoring hemorrage and favoring thrombosis. The main factors that favoring hemorrage are: low platelet count, impaired platelet function, decreased levels coagulation factors (II, V, VII, IX, X, XI), quantitative and qualitative abnormalities of fibrinogen, vitamin K defiency, low levels of trombin activable fibrinolisis inhibitor, activat plasminogenic tisular. The factors favoring thrombosis are elevated levels of factors VIII and von Willebrand, decreased levels of protein C, protein S, antithrombin, decreased levels of plasminogen. Traditionally it was thought that arterial and venous thrombosis is rare events in cirrhotic patients but recent studies have indicated that thrombotic complications can paradoxically occur even if clinically an increased risk of hemorrhage is considered. Treatment of venous thrombosis in patients with cirrhosis using routine anticoagulation with heparin and vitamin K antagonists has been described but with a high level of bleeding complications. So, based on the limited data available, AASLD guidelines stated no recommendations for or against the use of anticoagulation in cirrhotic patients with portal thrombosis. Although abnormal hemostasis tests and bleeding are often associated in patients with chronic liver disease it is a relatively poor correlation between hemorrhagic risk and routine diagnostic tests of hemostasis. Management of bleeding complications in liver cirrhosis varies and no general guidelines are available. The main therapeutic strategies are: red cell concentrate, plasma, platelet concentrate, recombinant factor VIIa, factor concentrates, desmopressin, antifibrynolitic agents, thrombopoietin receptor agonists, antibiotics. Clinical studies examining safety and efficacy of the various products for the different bleedeing or trombotic complications of liver cirrhosis need to be initiaded.

Efficacy of Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy in cirrhotic patients with peptic ulcer disease.

UNLABELLED: Few studies have been focused on the role of Helicobacter pylori eradication in cirrhotic patients with peptic ulcer and the reported results are conflicting. AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of proton pump inhibitor (PPI)-based triple therapy on peptic ulcer course in patients with liver cirrhosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This prospective study was carried out in a tertiary-care hospital. Of the 63 consecutive cirrhotic patients with peptic ulcer identified by endoscopy 39 (22 males, 14 females, aged 53 to 62 years) entered the study. The patients with peptic ulcer and H. pylori infection received eradication therapy, while H. pylori negative patients received PPI treatment. H. pylori eradication was confirmed by rapid urease test and histological examination. Follow-up endoscopies were performed at 6 and 12 months. The patients with peptic ulcer recurrence were treated with PPI. RESULTS: Of the 39 selected patients 22 (56.4%) were H. pylori positive, and 17 (43.6%) were H. pylori negative. H. pylori was eradicated in 63.6% (14/22) of the patients. During the follow-up period 2 H. pylori negative patients died from variceal bleeding and hepatic encephalopathy, respectively, and one H. pylori positive patient did not return for further assessment). Ulcers recurring within 1 year were found in 14 of 36 (38.8%) patients. Peptic ulcer recurred in 4 of 21 (19.0%) H. pylori positive patients and in 10 of 15 (47.6%) H. pylori negative patients at study entry. Patients' age (p = 0.018), Child-Pugh stage (p = 0.019), peptic ulcer site (p = 0.008), and H. pylori negative status (p = 0.004) were significantly related to ulcer recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Eradication of H. pylori infection in patients with liver cirrhosis and peptic ulcer disease could be helpful, but does not protect all cirrhotic patients from peptic ulcer recurrence. Most relapsed ulcers were gastric ulcers in H. pylori negative patients.

[Diagnostic and treatment algorithm for pharyngolaryngeal reflux]. / Algoritm de diagnostic si tratament in faringolaringita de reflux.

Pharyngolaryngeal reflux (PLR) refers to backflow of stomach contents into the throat and larynx. Its diagnosis is difficult because of a variety of atypical symptoms, low sensitivity of traditional tests of gastrointestinal tract, and no consensus on the diagnostic algorithm. The aim of this study was to provide an algorithm for the diagnosis and treatment of PLR. There were no pathognomonic symptoms or findings, but the characteristic symptoms validate the Reflux Symptom Index and Reflux Findings Score as tools in the initial diagnosis. The first approach is empirical medical treatment for 3 month, based on endoscopic findings at laryngofiberscopy; then objective demonstration of reflux events using multichannel intraluminal impedance and pH monitoring. Proton pump inhibitors represent the mainstay of therapy for the patients with PLR, but they require a more aggressive and prolonged treatment than the patients with gastroesophageal symptoms.

Spiral enteroscopy--a novel method for the management of small bowel diseases--case report and description of technique.

Small bowel diseases are associated with difficult management. Recently, new methods such as single or double balloon enteroscopy and capsule endoscopy have been implemented for the investigation of small bowel, but none is perfect. Spiral enteroscopy seems to be an alternative primising technique for the diagnosis and therapy of small bowel diseases. We report two cases in which spiral enetroscopy was useful both for diagnosis and therapy. One was the case of a man with repeated digestive bleeding of unknown cause and spiral enteroscopy helped for diagnosis and treatment with argon plasma coagulation of the vascular lesions. The later was a patient with Gartner Syndrome with multiple duodenal and intestinal polyps and spiral enteroscopy allowed small bowel evaluation. In conclusion, this novel method seems to allow a rapid and efficient diagnosis of small bowel diseases.

[Peptic ulcer disease in liver cirrhosis: role of Helicobacter pylori infection and therapeutic approach]. / Maladia peptica in ciroza hepatica: rolul infectiei cu Helicobacter pylori si conduita terapeutica.

Peptic ulcer has frequently been associated with liver cirrhosis. The death rate for peptic ulcer in cirrhotics has been reported to be five times higher than in general population. The underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Different factors have been claimed to be involved, such as alterations in serum gastrin level, gastric acid secretions, mucosal blood flow and decreased prostaglandin production in gastric mucosa. Moreover, Helicobacter pylori infection, when accurately assessed, is detectable in most peptic ulcer cirrhotics. Since the H. pylori infection strongly correlates with peptic ulcer in general population, it is necessary to clarify the role of H. pylori in the pathogenesis of peptic ulcer in cirrhosis before eradication can be proposed as a preventive measure.

[Cardiomyopathy in liver cirrhosis--an undiagnosed entity?]. / Cardiomiopatia--complicatie subevaluata în ciroza hepatica?

Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy is a condition recently known in liver cirrhosis consisting of systolic dysfunction to stress factors, diastolic dysfunction and electrophysiological abnormalities in the absence of cardiac disease. The prevalence of cirrhotic cardiomyopathy remains unknown until now. It can be diagnosed by using a combination of electrocardiograph, 2-dimensional echocardiography, and various serum markers (brain natriuretic factor--BNP, proBNP, TnI). Pathogenic mechanisms underlying cirrhotic cardiomyopathy development include abnormal signaling betaadrenergic, cardiomyocites membrane fluidity changes, interstitial fibrosis, myocardial hypertrophy, altered transmembrane ion channels as intervention with negative inotropic effect of different substances whose concentration is increased in cirrhosis. Major stresses on the cardiovasculary system such as liver transplantations, infections, insertion of transjugular portosystemic stent-shunt (TIPSS) have been demonstrated to put in evidence the presence of cirrhotic cardiomyopathy. Heart failure is a significant cause of mortality after liver transplantation but the improvement of liver function determines cardiac abnormalities reversal. Current management recommendations include empirical, nonspecific and mainly supportive measures, no specific treatment can be recommended, and cardiac failure should be treated as in non-cirrhotic patients with sodium restriction, diuretics, and oxygen therapy when necessary. The exact prognosis remains unclear. The extent of cirrhotic cardiomyopathy generally correlates to the degree of liver insufficiency. Reversibility is possible (either pharmacological or after liver transplantation), but further studies are needed.