Prompted by the lack of knowledge of the distribution of gastric lymphatics and the discrepancy between the incidence of lymph node metastases from intramucosal gastric carcinoma versus intramucosal colonic carcinoma, we undertook a study of the distribution of lymphatics in normal, abnormal non-neoplastic, and neoplastic gastric mucosas. The study involved the histologic, immunocytochemical, and electron microscopic evaluation of a total of 47 gastric biopsy, polypectomy, and resection specimens and showed that the gastric lymphatics normally begin as a plexus of vessels immediately superficial to, within, and below the muscularis mucosae. The upper two-thirds of the gastric lamina propria is normally devoid of lymphatics. This distribution is maintained throughout the cardia, fundus, and antrum and is also maintained in hyperplastic and neoplastic tissues. However, in patients with severe atrophic gastritis in which the overall height of the gastric mucosa is markedly decreased, lymphatic capillaries may be found near the surface epithelium. The relevance of these findings to the behavior of early gastric cancer is discussed.