We investigated the clinical features of schizophrenic syndromes first manifested after the age of 50. By comparison with the schizophrenic syndromes first manifested before the 50th year of life we found: (1) late schizophrenia is characterized by rich psychotic productive syndromes (delusions and hallucinations); (2) disturbances of thought are rare; (3) depression, euphoria and anxiety show no difference between the two groups; (4) females are much more represented than males; (5) social isolation is not more common in late schizophrenia than in non-late schizophrenia.