Mucious gastric carcinoma (MGC) is a subtype of gastric carcinoma and its clinicopathologic features and prognosis still remain unclear. To investigate the clinical significance and surgical outcomes of mucinous gastric carcinoma, 2,769 patients with gastric carcinoma were analyzed in a case control study. We reviewed the records of 196 patients with mucinous gastric carcinoma and 2,573 with nonmucinous gastric carcinoma (NGC). Clinicopathologic features and survival rate of patients were analyzed. In all registered patients, patients with MGC had a larger size, more T3 and T4 invasion to the gastric wall, more positive lymph node metastasis, more III and IV stage and more positive peritoneal dissemination, but less curative gastrectomy. In curative gastrectomy patients, MGC had larger size, deeper invasion to gastric wall, more positive lymph node metastasis and more advanced TNM stage. The overall survival rate in curative gastrectomy patients with MGC was significantly lower than that for patients with NGC (P < 0.021). Age (P = 0.001), location of tumor (P < 0.001), Borrmann type (P = 0.037), depth of invasion (P < 0.001), lymph node metastasis (P < 0.001) and lymphovascular invasion (P = 0.001) were independent prognostic factors of gastric carcinoma, but MGC itself was not. The prognosis of MGC did not have significant difference compared with NGC. Frequently, MGC was of advanced stage at the time of diagnosis. Age, location of tumor, Borrmann type, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis and lymphovascular invasion are independent prognostic factors of gastric carcinoma, but mucinous histological type itself is not. Further study on the origin and progression of MGC is needed in future.