Asymptomatic gossypiboma mimicking a liver mass

Abstract

Gossypiboma is a rare condition which causes serious problems both for the patients and the surgeons usually after abdominal operations. It is the term used to describe a mass within the body which is composed of cotton matrix. The most common foreign material retained in the abdominal cavity is the surgical sponge. They can either cause serious complications such as intra-abdominal abscess in the early period or can remain asymptomatic for years by giving false tumour image and be detected incidentally. Although X-ray, ultrasonography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging can be used to diagnose gossypiboma, definitive diagnosis is possible only after surgery and histopathological examination. Although surgery is the recommended treatment, prevention is the best course in order to avoid this surgical complication. As an unwanted, preventable and life-threatening complication after surgery, gossypiboma must be considered in the differential diagnosis in patients who present with an intra-abdominal mass and a past surgical history. Due to legal and medical problems, appropriate surgical intervention should be planned as soon as possible. In our study, we aimed to present a case of asymptomatic gossypiboma who was referred to our clinic because of a liver mass and with a history of right surrenalectomy and cholecystectomy 12 years before.