Abstract: Objective: To explore the pattern of lymphatic metastasis and influencing factors of thoracic esophageal carcinoma. Methods:We reviewed the pathological specimens from 229 esophageal carcinoma patients who underwent radical esophagectomy with two-field lymphadenectomy. A total of 2,458 lymph nodes were dissected. We analyzed the lymph node metastasis pattern of the primary tumor in different loca-tions and the corresponding influencing factors such as pathological T stage, tumor length, pathological mor -phology and tumor differentiation. Results: Lymph node metastasis rates were44.5% (102 /229 ) and 10.5% (258 /2458), respectively. For patients with upper thoracic esophageal carcinomas, lymphatic metastasis rates in the superior mediastinum, the middle mediastinum, the inferior mediastinum and the abdominal cavity were 19.0% ,6.7% ,9.8% and 12.2% , respectively. For patients with middle thoracic esophageal carcinomas, the rates were 26.1%,7.4% ,11.8% and 11.9%, respectively. For patietns with lower thoracic esophageal carcino-mas, the rates were 0, 1.6%,5.3%, and10.0%, respectively. Lymphatic metastasis rate in T1, T2, T3, T4 stage cancer were 28.6% ,43.8% ,47.6% , and31.3% , respectively; the rate of positive lymph nodes were 7.9% ,10.8%,10.7%, and10.8%, respectively, with no significant differences among the four stages ( χ2=2.733 , P=0.435 and χ2=0.686 , P=0.876 ). Lymphatic metastasis rate and rate of positive lymph nodes in patients with tu -mor ≤3cm, 3 to 5cm, and >5cm were 45.2% and 43.4%,46.2% and 9.1%, and11.6% and 11.7%, respective-ly, with no significant differences ( χ2=0.094 , P=0.954 and χ2=3.933 , P=0.140 ). Lymphatic metastasis ratios of the pathological morphology in medullary, ulcerative, mushroom and stenotic types were 14.0%,9.6%,4.3%and 18.3%, respectively (χ2=19.292 , P=0.000 ). Lymphatic metastasis rate and rate of positive lymph nodes of squamous cell carcinoma of moderately and poorly differentiation were 42.5%,75.0% and 9.5%,18.6%, re-spectively (χ2=4.852 , P=0.028 and χ2=11.323 , P=0.001 ). Patients with squamous cell carcinoma of poorly differentiation had a higher rate of lymph node metastasis. Conclusion:Lymphatic metastasis of esophageal car -cinoma metastasize widely even if in early T stage. Pathological morphology and tumor differentiation are re -lating facors of lymph node metastasis of thoracic esophageal carcinoma.