Gastric emptying, mouth-to-cecum transit, and whole-gut transit of a solid-liquid meal were measured in 46 chronic alcoholics and in 30 control subjects by using scintigraphic techniques, hydrogen breath test, and stool markers. In the alcoholics various parameters such as ethanol consumption, gastrointestinal symptoms, and alcoholic neuropathy were determined and related to gastrointestinal transit times. Although there was no significant overall difference of gastric emptying, abnormally delayed gastric emptying was detected in 23.9% of the alcoholics but no control subject (P<0.005). mouth-to-cecum="" transit="" was="" significantly="" prolonged="" in="" the="" alcoholics="">P<0.001) with="" 14="" alcoholics="" (37.8%)="" disclosing="" delayed="" mouth-to-cecum="" transit.="" no="" significant="" differences="" between="" both="" groups="" were="" detected="" concerning="" whole="" gut="" transit.="" in="" the="" alcoholics="" there="" was="" a="" significant="" correlation="" of="" dyspeptic="" symptoms="" with="" delayed="" gastric="" emptying="">P<0.006), and="" alcoholics="" with="" diarrhea="" had="" an="" accelerated="" mouth-to-cecum="" transit="" as="" compared="" to="" those="" without="" diarrhea="">P<0.05). neither="" the="" presence="" of="" autonomic="" or="" peripheral="" neuropathy="" nor="" the="" presence="" of="" liver="" cirrhosis="" or="" ascites="" was="" significantly="" related="" to="" gastrointestinal="" transit="" times.="" however,="" the="" daily="" ethanol="" ingestion="" significantly="" correlated="" with="" gastric="" emptying="">P<0.005). it="" is="" concluded,="" therefore,="" that="" in="" chronic="" alcoholics="" the="" small="" intestine="" and="" the="" stomach="" are="" most="" likely="" to="" be="" affected="" by="" gastrointestinal="" transit="" disorders="" and="" that="" these="" transit="" abnormalities="" are="" potentially="" related="" to="" toxic="" damage="" of="" gastrointestinal="" smooth="">