[Intestinal bacteria overgrowth in chronic hepatopathies].

Intestinal bacterial overgrowth (IBD) is very frequent in patients with chronic hepatopathies. Causes of IBO, although not entirely known, principally are: the hepatopathy, the alcoholism and the alterations produced by these two factors, such as achylia (and above all hypochlorhydria), decrease in the secretion of IgA, and malnutrition. On the other hand, the IBO increases the severity of the hepatopathy and frequently produces a bacterial peritonitis. All these data suggest that the IBO play an important role increasing the hepatopathy severity and consequently is a factor to bear in mind.