A prospective study of twenty-one patients with proven malignant melanoma carried out over the past three years compares the use of plain chest radiographs, conventional linear tomograms and computed tomograms for identification and evaluation of thoracic metastasis Prior to surgical resection of the primary melanoma all patients had negative high quality chest radiographs. Nineteen patients also had preoperative conventional or computed tomograms which were negative for thoracic metastasis.