[Clinical course in Bietti crystalline tapetoretinal degeneration]

The course of Bietti's crystalline retinopathy, which has an autosomal-recessive mode of inheritance, is described with reference to three families. Initially, crystals appear in the inner and middle layers of the retina; in the third decade of life atrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium and of the choroid sets in. Secondary degeneration of the center of the retina results in the disappearance of the crystals in the degenerated areas.