Based on a retrospective study of a series of 196 patients followed up from 1974, to 1986, 60 cases of Behcet's disease are reviewed in autochthonous French patients, defined as born of French parents in Metropolitan France. The group included 36 men and 27 women (sex ratio 1.45) age range 32 +/- 7 years at time of diagnosis. Semeiology and outcome were compared with those of North African patients, the bias related to their female under-representation being eliminated by analysis of findings in males only. No significant difference was noted between the two groups, particularly with respect to ocular, neurological and vascular lesions. Neither the sex nor the existence of HLA B5 (28/40 tests) had any influence on semeiology. Three deaths related to the disease were reported two pregnancies were conducted to term without neonatal effects despite maternal acute ocular episodes. Treatment was with corticoids (n = 33), immunodeppressants (n = 15), colchicine (n = 29) and anticoagulant and/or anti-aggregant therapy (n = 31). Lasting disappearance of aphthosis was obtained in 34 cases, of cutaneous signs in 27, articular signs in 26 and vascular signs in 16. The ocular lesions present initially in 41 patients had disappeared over long periods in 29 cases, and presented a satisfactory prognosis since less than 39 p. 100 of the patients had any significant handicap at 5 years. Among the relapses, 5 appeared after too hasty withdrawal of colchicine. The diagnosis of Behcet's disease should be evoked in autochthonous subjects if necessary, and confirmed on the basis of usual clinical criteria alone.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)