A Case of Gastrointestinal Dysmotility and Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth in a Patient with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Gastrointestinal (GI symptoms such as nausea vomiting abdominal pain and diarrhea are common in patients with advanced liver disease. Changes of the GI function can be caused by malabsorption GI motility disturbances small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO or various effects of metabolic derangement due to liver cirrhosis. Hepatocelluar carcinoma (HCC and liver cirrhosis often share similar symptoms and signs. However it is still unknown whether GI complaints in patients with HCC result from GI dysmotility. Herein we report a case of GI dysmotility and SIBO in a patient with HCC and chronic HBV hepatitis. A 52-year-old man came to our hospital presenting with postprandial epigastric discomfort and abdominal bloating. Abdominal computed tomography showed diffuse infiltrative HCC. GI dysmotility and SIBO were found through studies including gastric emptying time electogastrography small bowel transit antroduodenal manometry and jejunal fluid culture. (Kor J Neurogastroenterol Mot 2003;9:163-167