[Long-term observation of patients taking lithium and relationship between prognosis and the course of the disease].

The authors evaluated the results of lithium therapy in 70 patients with manic-depressive psychosis and endogenous depressions. The achieved results do not confirm the idea that patients with singular phases have a better prognosis in lithium therapy compared to the prognosis in patients with more frequent attacks. The conclusion is made that atypical signs during the development of an affective psychosis diminish the hope of a successful prophylactic use of lithium.