Gossypiboma Posing as a Diagnostic Dilemma: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

The term gossypiboma is used to describe a retained surgical sponge after operation. It is a rare but serious complication which is seldom reported because of the medicolegal implications. Gossypiboma usually has varied and vague presentation and is also difficult to detect on radiological investigations. It can even remain silent and present years after the operation. We report a case of a 38-year-old lady who presented with vague pain and chronic lump in the right iliac fossa region. She had a history of cesarean section 4 years ago. Radiological investigations were inconclusive in detecting the retained sponge. A working diagnosis of mesenteric cyst was made and an exploratory laparotomy was done where she was found to have a large gossypiboma densely adhered to the small bowel and surrounding structures. Though rare, gossypiboma should be kept in mind as a differential diagnosis in postoperative cases presenting as vague pain or chronic lump even years after the operation.