Gossypiboma – A nightmare for surgeon: A rare case with review of literature

Abstract

Gossypiboma is an uncommon but avoidable condition, which is mostly asymptomatic initially and difficult to diagnose but can cause serious postoperative complications. It is a mass lesion due to surgical sponge or swab if retained in the body after the surgery. Gossypiboma has a vague presentation, and it is difficult to diagnose. In patients with a prior history of surgery having soft-tissue masses or localized pain abdomen, gossypiboma should be included in the differential diagnosis. We are reporting a case of a 33-year-old woman referred to our center with a complaint of vague abdominal pain, mild distension for the past 7 days, and discharge from the stitch line for the past 1 day. After investigation, diagnosis of gossypiboma was made and an exploratory laparotomy was performed to remove the retained surgical mop.

Keywords

• A surgical sponge
• gossypiboma
• retained foreign bodies