Spontaneous Intraluminal Migration of Gossypiboma

ABSTRACT

Retained surgical mops following surgery is an avoidable but serious complication. They are seldom reported because of medicolegal implications but clinicians need to be aware about varied presentations of this entity to avoid unnecessary morbidity. We report a case of a 28-year-old woman who presented with chronic diarrhea and lower abdominal pain due to intraluminal migration of the surgical mop into the sigmoid colon 6 months after myomectomy of the uterus. The possibility of gossypiboma was suggested by the contrast-enhanced CT scan of the abdomen. Flexible sigmoidosocpy showed the remnants of the mop inside the lumen of the sigmoid colon. She underwent laparotomy and removal of the surgical mop and became completely asymptomatic. Though gossypiboma is rare clinicians should keep it in mind in patients who had undergone laparotomy previously. (J Dig Endosc2011;2(1):22-24)

Key Words:

Gossypiboma - Surgical mop - Sigmoidoscopy - Abdominal mass - Chronic diarrhea

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