169 patients with schizophrenic symptomatology at least once and a mean follow-up period of 20 years were divided in three groups regarding the presence and type of accompanying affective symptomatology. The groups were compared regarding sociodemographic and other premorbid features and long-term outcome. The results show that not every depressive or euphoric symptom but only melancholic or manic symptomatology qualifies the schizophrenic syndrome as schizoaffective.