Of 1102 consecutive patients treated with beta irradiation after pterygium removal at the Queensland Radium Institute from 1973 through 1978, 503 had a follow-up ophthalmologic examination in 1989, while a further 82 had at least a 10-year follow-up from ophthalmologic records. One hundred forty-two patients were lost to follow-up because of death, lack of cooperation, and geographical inaccessibility. A further 375 patients could not be located. Of those not followed for at least 10 years, 162 had a follow-up, recorded from ophthalmologic records, of at least 3 months. After an average dose of 22 Gray, there was a recurrence rate of 12%. A further 13% showed some sign of scleromalacia, which included 4.5% of the study group who had severe thinning.