Gossypiboma Masquerading as Small Bowel Malignancy

Gossypiboma refers to inadvertently retained foreign objects after surgical operations. High body mass index and emergency surgery are risk factors of the condition. Presenting symptoms are usually non-specific and it may result in serious complications such as bowel obstruction. Removal can be attempted with endoscopic or surgical approaches depending on the site and presence of complications. This case highlights the need for considering gossypiboma in patients presenting with abdominal symptoms after recent abdominal surgery. Herein we report the case of a 30-year-old woman with abdominal pain two months after mini-gastric bypass surgery. Cross-sectional imaging showed a hyperdense area in the small bowel concerning for malignancy. However, upper endoscopy revealed a 10 × 40 cm retained surgical gauze in the afferent loop that was successfully retrieved. Although rare, retained foreign body should be considered in the differential diagnosis of postoperative abdominal pain.