Case report 736: Retained surgical sponge (gossypiboma) with a foreign body reaction and remote and organizing hematoma

Aseptic Ligatures Induce Marginal Peri-Implant Bone Loss-An 8-Week Trial in Rabbits

The clinical value of ligature-induced experimental peri-implantitis studies has been questioned due to the artificial nature of the model. Despite repeated claims that ligatures of silk, cotton and other materials may not induce bone resorption by themselves; a recent review showed that the tissue reaction toward them has not been investigated. Hence, the current study aimed to explore the hard and soft tissue reactions toward commonly used ligature materials. A total of 60 dental implants were inserted into the femur (n = 20) and tibia (n = 40) of 10 rabbits. The femoral implants were ligated with sterile 3-0 braided silk in one leg and sterile cotton retraction chord in the other leg. The tibial implants were ligated with silk or left as non-ligated controls. All wounds were closed in layers. After a healing time of 8 weeks, femoral (silk versus cotton) and proximal tibial (silk versus non-ligated control) implants were investigated histologically. Distal tibial (silk versus non-ligated control) implants were investigated with real time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The distance from the implant-top to first bone contact point was longer for silk ligated implants compared to non-ligated controls (p = 0.007), but did not vary between cotton and silk. The ligatures triggered an immunological reaction with cell infiltrates in close contact with the ligature materials, adjacent soft tissue encapsulation and bone resorption. qPCR further demonstrated an upregulated immune response toward the silk ligatures compared to non-ligated controls. Silk and cotton ligatures provoke foreign body reactions of soft tissue encapsulation type and bone resorption around implants in the absence of plaque.

Extremity gossypiboma mimicking sarcoma: case report and review

A 70-year-old man with a history of bladder and colon cancer presented with an enlarging mass in his right lower extremity. Forty years before presentation, he had injured his right lower extremity in a motor vehicle accident. Imaging findings indicated suspected sarcoma, which led to biopsy. Biopsy and further surgical exploration revealed the presence of a surgical sponge and surrounding local inflammatory reaction. No neoplasm was found, and the sponge and involved tissues were removed. Gossypiboma is exceedingly rare in the extremities. Imaging of retained foreign material can appear suggestive of sarcoma because of strong inflammatory responses and local tissue mass-like derangement resulting in heterogeneous signal changes. Ultimately, biopsy must be performed to ensure that no oncological pathological condition is present.

Inverted verrucous carcinoma of the buttock mimicking abscess and gossypiboma: MR and pathologic correlation

Verrucous carcinoma (VC) is an uncommon, low-grade variant of squamous cell carcinoma. Its benign histologic appearance and indolent course may lead to a delayed diagnosis. We report a rare case of an inverted verrucous carcinoma of the buttock presenting as a slow-growing subcutaneous lesion with a draining sinus and no exophytic component, clinically mimicking abscess and gossypiboma, with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and pathologic correlation. Biopsy of the lesional base is mandatory for accurate diagnosis. An enhancement pattern with a convoluted undulating appearance in a subcutaneous lesion displayed on MRI should raise a consideration of inverted VC in the differential diagnosis.

Small Bowel Perforation due to Gossypiboma Caused Acute Abdomen

Gossypiboma, an infrequent surgical complication, is a mass lesion due to a retained surgical sponge surrounded by foreign body reaction. In this case report, we describe gossypiboma in the abdominal cavity which was detected 14 months after the hysterectomy due to acute abdominal pain. Gossypiboma was diagnosed by computed tomography (CT). The CT findings were a rounded mass with a dense central part and an enhancing wall. In explorative laparotomy, small bowel loops were seen to be perforated due to inflammation of long standing gossypiboma. Jejunal resection with end-to-end anastomosis was performed. The patient was discharged whithout complication. This case was presented to point to retained foreign body (RFB) complications and we believed that the possibility of a retained foreign body should be considered in the differential diagnosis of who had previous surgery and complained of pain, infection, or palpable mass.

Failure to heal of thyroidectomy wound due to gossypiboma and stitch sinus: report of two cases

This case series presents two females, 53 and 33 years old, with thyroidectomy wounds that failed to heal, 16 and 18 weeks, respectively, following the operation. The wounds were explored with removal of gauze and catgut suture. The patients made remarkable improvement and the wounds healed satisfactorily within seven days. Surgical materials forgotten intraoperatively, wrong use of and / or infected surgical materials should be considered when surgical wounds fail to heal.

Recurrent gossypiboma in the thigh

Gossypiboma, an iatrogenic mass lesion caused by a retained surgical sponge is an extremely rare event following musculoskeletal procedures. This entity is therefore a very unusual experience and can create considerable confusion. Unsuspecting surgeons may thus be caught out by this unlikely presentation. We present our experience with a recurrent gossypiboma in the thigh occurring several years after surgical evacuation of a similar gossypiboma from the same anatomic location with interval resolution of symptoms. The purpose of this case report is to highlight the possibility of a "recurrent" soft tissue mass occurring for reasons other than a neoplasm. In the absence of a definitive biopsy diagnosis of tumor in patients who have undergone prior surgical procedures in that area, it may be more prudent to adopt a conservative surgical resection rather than a conventional radical resection as warranted by the dramatic clinical presentation mimicking a soft tissue sarcoma.

[Retained foreign bodies from the surgical point of view]

The number of foreign bodies remaining in the patient after a surgical procedure is presumably higher than mentioned in the literature. According to US insurance statistics, the incidence amounts to 1 in 1,500 surgical procedures. As a basic principle--also from the legal aspect--it is necessary to determine whether a foreign body was left in situ accidentally (i.e. due to a material fault) or if it was simply forgotten. In 70% of cases, fabric items (e.g. swabs etc.) are left behind, while around 30% are metal objects. A particularly high risk is seen in emergency settings, in unexpected changes in the surgical procedure, or for patients with a high body mass index. The outcome for the patient differs depending on the nature of the object left behind and the individual patient's situation. Usually, metal items cause more acute clinical symptoms at an earlier time after the operation. Fabric items tend to induce, in the absence of primary contamination, a chronic progression of symptoms over several years. Reoperation has a high mortality (between 11% and 35%). Precautions in terms of risk management have to be established and need to be strictly respected, especially in high risk settings. Visually or acoustically controlled monitoring before wound-closure are recommended to eliminate "human error" as thoroughly as possible.

[Radiological diagnostics for iatrogenic retained foreign bodies after surgery]

Retention of surgical sponges is rare. They cause either an aseptic reaction without significant symptoms or an exudative reaction which results in early but non-specific symptoms. Even if there are no studies which compare the diagnostic accuracy of the different imaging modalities, CT seems to be the most promising tool to diagnose foreign bodies. However, apart from radio-paque markers there are no specific signs for the existence of surgical sponges in CT. Therefore, an experienced radiologist is needed to differentiate foreign bodies from morphologically quite similar differential diagnoses such as abscess and haematoma.

Calcified reticulate rind sign: A characteristic feature of gossypiboma on computed tomography

We herein report a gossypiboma resulting from a retained surgical swab, which had been left in peritoneum for 20 years after appendectomy. CT revealed a cystic mass with a calcified reticulate rind. Subsequent surgery and pathological examination showed a gossypiboma. A simple experiment, using a barium-soaked surgical swab demonstrating similar CT appearance, supported our postulation that calcium deposition on the reticulated fibers of a surgical swab could generate such a characteristic “calcified reticulate rind” sign. We believe that identification of this CT sign facilitates the diagnosis of gossypibomas.

An unusual cause of small bowel obstruction: gossypiboma--case report

BACKGROUND

The term "gossypiboma" denotes a mass of cotton that is retained in the body following surgery. Gossypiboma is a medico-legal problem especially for surgeons. To the best of our knowledge, the patient presented herein is the second reported patient in whom the exact site of migration of a retained surgical textile material into the intestinal lumen could be demonstrated by preoperative imaging studies.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 74-year-old woman presented with symptoms of small bowel obstruction due to incomplete intraluminal migration of a laparotomy towel 3 years after open cholecystectomy and umbilical hernia repair. Plain abdominal radiography did not show any sign of a radio-opaque marker in the abdomen. However, contrast enhanced abdominal computerized tomography revealed a round, well-defined soft-tissue mass with a dense, enhanced wall, containing an internal high-density area with air-bubbles in the mid-abdomen. A fistula between the abscess cavity containing the suspicious mass and gastrointestinal tract was identified by upper gastrointestinal series. The presence of a foreign body was considered. It was surgically removed with a partial small bowel resection followed by anastomosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Although gossypiboma is rarely seen in daily clinical practice, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute mechanical intestinal obstruction in patients who underwent laparotomy previously. The best approach in the prevention of this condition can be achieved by meticulous count of surgical materials in addition to thorough exploration of surgical site at the conclusion of operations and also by routine use of surgical textile materials impregnated with a radio-opaque marker.