Follow up information was retrieved on III patients who underwent enuc
leation for uveal melanoma between 1964 and 1987, allowing a minimum p
ostoperative period of 5 years. Univariate survival analysis was carri
ed out using Kaplan-Meier curves and the differences between the curve
s were analysed with the Mantel-Cox test. Multivariate analysis used t
he Cox proportional hazards model. Univariate analysis isolated each o
f the following as significant prognosticators: largest tumour diamete
r (LTD) (p<0.002), presence of epithelioid cells (p<0.03), and glaucom
a (p<0.001). A combination of cell type, glaucoma, and LTD (p<0.0001)
had strong and independent prognostic significance in multivariate ana
lysis. The results of this series are compared with previous studies a
nd the value of cell type information and new quantitative parameters
is discussed.