Autonomic and cardiac dysfunction is frequent in cirrhosis, and includes increased sympathetic nervous activity, impaired heart rate variability (HRV) and baroreflex sensitivity (BRS). Quantified (123)I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (mIBG) scintigraphy reflects cardiac noradrenaline uptake and in patients with cardiac failure it predicts outcome. In this study we aimed to investigate cardiac sympathetic function in cirrhosis by mIBG scintigraphy in relation to cardiovascular function. Ten patients with cirrhosis and 10 matched healthy controls participated in the study. Heart/mediastinum (H/M) ratios of mIBG uptake were calculated 15 and 230 minutes after intravenous injection of mIBG. Furthermore, washout rate (WOR) of mIBG was calculated. The patients underwent a liver vein catherization with determination of splanchnic and systemic haemodynamics and measurement of HRV and BRS. mIBG-scintigraphy revealed significantly increased WOR in patients with cirrhosis compared to controls (p