Carcinoma of the gallbladder is the most common malignant disease of the biliary tract and 5th common among all GI malignancies. To make a correct diagnosis of the carcinoma of the gallbladder preoperatively is not easy and it partly accounts for the poor prognosis of this disease. 21 cases of the carcinoma of the gallbladder who admitted and operated at the Department of Surgery, St. Vincent Hospital, Catholic University Medical College, from Jan 1981 to Jan 1988 were analized retrospectively. The results were as follows: 1) The rate of the carcinoma of the gallbladder among biliary tract operations during the same period was 8.5%(21!246). 2) The sex ratio of male to female was 1:1.3 with predominance in the 6th and 7th decades(57.5%). 3) The most common clinical manifestations were epigastric or RUQ pain and tenderness, anorex- ia, weight loss and generalized weakness etc. And there were no specific sign or symptom to the carcinoma of the gallbladder. 4) 10 patients had past history of biliary colic or jaundice. 5) The most frequent preoperative diagnosis was GB empyema(7/21) and the carcinoma of the gallbladder was not recognized even during the operation in 4 patients. 6) GB stones were found in 5 patients among 10 whose operation records icluded the mention about the presence of the stones. 7) The most frequent site of the carcinoma of the gallbladder was neck (28.6/o) and then, fundus (23.8%), body (19. 0%) in order of frequeney. 8) Cholecystectomy and T-tube choledochostomy were performed in 8 patients and one who underwent extended cholecystectomy and wedge resection of the gallbladder fossa of the liver and T-tube choledochostomy is still alive 22 months after the operation. 9) By histopathological classification, the carcinoma of the gallbladder was divided into adenocar- cinoma, undifferentiated cancer and carcinoid. And adenocarcinoma was divided into following 4 types; glandular, papillary, medullary, scirrhous and co)loid types. The most frequent type was adenocarcinoma, glandular type (23.8%) and the histopathological type was not determined in 3 patients. 10) Stazing by the histopathological examination was not related to the prognosis of the disease in this study. 11) The mean survival period was 12.8 months and 1 year survival rate was 25% and 2 year survival rate was 12.5%. To treat the carcinoma of the gallbladder of extremely poor prognosis properly, early detection of the disease and immediate surgery is prerequisite and surgery wou]d be recommended especially in old women over 60 who suffered from gall stone or cholecystitis. And surgeons should examine the removed gallbladder carefully before finishing every gallbladder surgery and always should have the suspicion of the carcinoma of the gal]bladder especially in old aged patients.