VII. EFFECTS OF DEFICIENCY 



549 



unusual proliferative activity in retinal capillaries, followed by edema and 

 small hemorrhages which rupture into the vitreous, separation of the retina, 

 and, with further proliferation, the formation of a disorganized membrane- 

 like mass in the \itreous. Its etiology is unknown, but it is generally re- 

 garded as r(4ated to some metabolic disorder of prenatal or early postnatal 

 life. 



There are many ol)served facts which provide ([uite logical reasons for 

 suspecting that inadeciuacy of vitamin E might be involved, as outlined 

 liy Owens and Owens.''* Although the latter investigators found no signifi- 

 cant difference in serum tocopherol levels between infants with normal eyes 



0.5 r 



0.4 



0.3 - 



2 0.2 - 



<^ 0.1 - 



1-10 11-20 21-30 



Hospital days 



31-40 



Fig. 7. Mean level of serum tocopherols in artificially fed premature infants during 

 the first 40 days postpartum (from Wright et al.^^^). 



and those who developed retrolental fibroplasia, prophylactic tocopherol 

 therapy given to alternate premature infants with birth weights of 3 pounds 

 or less gave results which were at least encouraging; so also did the use of 

 a-tocopherol in infants showing early stages of the disease. Unfortunately, 

 however, their subsequent experience,'^* and that of other investiga- 

 tors,'*"- '*' has raised doubt as to whether tocopherol has therapeutic 

 value in preventing or ameliorating the lesions. Capillar}' changes due 

 to physiologic immaturity and electrolyte imbalance'*- and failure to main- 

 tain proper oxygenation'*'^ during early postnatal life are currently under 

 consideration. 



'»« W. E. Kinsey and J. F. Chisholm, Jr., Am. J. Ophthalmol. 34, 1259 (1951). 



'" W. O. La Motte, Jr.^ G. S. Tyncr, and H. G. Scheie, Arch. Ophthalmol. 47, 556 



(1952). 

 182 A. C. Krause, Am. J. Ophthalmol. 34, 1003 (1951). 

 1" T. S. Szewczyk, Am. J. Ophthalmol. 34, 1649 (1951); 35, 301 (1952). 



