Sixteen cases of lymph node-positive n (+) single intramucosal gastric cancer, resected in Niigata Cancer Center Hospital from 1966 to 1992, were analyzed in comparison with 770 lymph node-negative n (-) cases. The results were as follows.(1) The n (+) cases showed a higher frequency of undifferentiated type in histology, were larger in size and were younger than the n (-) cases.(2) All n (+) cases were depressed type (6 cases of type IIc and 8 cases of type IIc + III) except for 2 cases (1 case of type I and 1 case of type IIa + IIc). Twelve cases of the depressed type (85.7%) were accompanied with peptic ulcer in the lesion.(3) The n (+) cases included 10 cases of n1 (+), 5 cases of n2 (+) and 1 case of n3 (+).(4) No lymph node metastasis was seen in the elevated type of less than 2.0 cm in diameter, the depressed type of less than 2.0 cm in diameter, or any type located in the upper third portion.(5) There was only 1 patient over 70 years of age. From now on, as the number of aged patients increases, we should perform rational treatment for aged early gastric cancer patients considering the social indication.