From January 1987 to December 1989, we did ultrasound examination for lymph nodes(LNs) around the celiac axis in 159 patients of stomach cancer. And surgically removed LNs were correlated with sonographic result and pathologic confirmation for metastasis. the celiac axis as a landmark for location of LN was identified in 87%(138/159). On ultrasonic examination, 77 LNs were detected around the celiac axis from 62 patients, however, no LN was detected from the remaining 97 patients. In detail, the outputs of pathologic correlation are ; sensitivity = 80% (35/44), specificity = 77%(88/115), overall accuracy = 77%. When the size criteria was designated as diameters of 10, 15 and 20mm, sensitivity was 89%, 68% and 39%, whereas the specificity was 55%, 79%, and 97% respectively. On the analysis of LNs according to their sizes, LNs with diameter of above 15mm were significant for diagnosis of LN metastasis(P value < 0.0005). On the analysis of LNs according to their shapes, LN with n tched or lobulated margin was more significant than LN with discrete round margin, especially when diameter of LN was below 15mm. However the shape of LN played not so big role, when diameter of LN was above 15mm.