The objectives of this population-based study were to assess putative prognostic factors for central nervous system (CNS) metastases among patients with cutaneous malignant melanoma, to assess the cumulative risk of CNS metastases in different subsets of patients with recurrent disease, and to describe patient outcome. At a median follow-up of 11 years, 201/2516 patients with melanoma had developed CNS metastases, corresponding to a cumulative risk at 5 years of 7%. In 41 of these 201 patients the CNS metastases were recorded as the first site of recurrence. In a Cox's multivariate model, primary tumor thickness and ulceration in stage I patients were independent risk factors. The cumulative rates of incidence of CNS metastases 5 years after local or regional recurrence as first event were 5 and 42%, respectively. These results may help to form an individually based risk assessment, which might be of value for melanoma patients in certain occupations.