Hanai T, et al. - In this retrospective study involving consecutive patients with liver cirrhosis, researchers clarified the prognostic significance of minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE). Using a neuropsychiatric test, MHE was diagnosed in 56 of 269 eligible patients. In total, 67 patients died during a median follow-up period of 13.4 months. The overall survival rate in patients with MHE was significantly lower. Findings suggested an association of MHE with an increased risk of mortality in liver cirrhosis patients, irrespective of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) stage or Child–Pugh score.