This study deals with 29 patients with cirrhosis, caused by alcohol in 23 cases, at a stage of edematoascitic decompensation. Calcemia was low 88 +/- 7 mg/l) as well as calciuria 87 +/- 92 mg/24 h). Phosphoremia and hydroxyprolinuria were within normal limits. A moderate diminution of 25 OH D3 (29,5 +/- 18 ng/ml) was observed in most patients but one third of them had no or very low levels of parathormone and 10 out of 27 had an elevated level of calcitonin. Bone histomorphometry which was done in 24 cases showed a discrete osteoporosis, a relative hyperosteoidosis and a hyperosteoclasis. There was a very significant relationship between hypocalcemia, and hypoalbuminemia but the other abnormalities could not be correlated significantly with either the duration or the severity of the disease. Hypocalcemia and bone histomorphometric abnormalities of cirrhosis can certainly not be explained only by a lack of liver hydroxylation of vitamin D.