[Prospects and limitations of the treatment of senile maculopathies with phosphatides (author's transl)].

All kinds of treatment attempted so far in cases of senile maculopathies were unsatisfactory. Intramuscular injections of retinal phosphatides were introduced six years ago. In this follow-up study 216 eyes of patients with senile maculopathy treated by Etaretin have been checked. The former experience was confirmed that an improvement in visual acuity can be obtained only in early cases of the dry type. In such cases i.m. injections of Etaretin are actually the treatment of choice. In fairly advanced cases eventually some stabilization of the process may be obtained. In terminal stages no effect can be expected. Experimental observations revealed that the therapeutic effect of a phosphatide compound depends on the content of the polyunsaturated fatty acid C 22:6, but not on the animal organ which serves as the source of the extract. From an economic point of view these findings are of importance for further experimental work, as well as for broad clinical application.