[Autochthonous Behçet's disease. Apropos of 73 cases]

A multicenter study of Behçet's disease in France confirms the male predominance (62 p. cent), the mean age of onset in the 4th decade, the frequent muco-cutaneous, ocular, articular manifestations (94 p. cent), the skin hypersensitivity (68 p. cent). The forms with arthralgia predominate; the knees are especially affected; arthritis has a favorable course; the para-articular forms are infrequent and in 4 cases, are associated with ankylosing spondylarthritis. HLA B5 is found in 47 p. cent of the cases. HLA-B12 in 22 p. cent. HLA-B5 is associated with eye involvement in 62 p. cent of the cases, HLA-B12 is associated with skin involvement in 67 p. cent of the cases. The effectiveness of colchicine and, at a lesser degree, of steroids, is confirmed.