Idiopathic weight loss due to an entero-enteric fistula from a gossypiboma retained for 27 years

Özet

Gossypiboma refers to a mass formed around surgical instruments or materials left in the body postoperatively. Theoccurrence of gossypibomas remains an important problem, despite improvements in surgical procedures and operatingroom facilities. The clinical presentation of gossypiboma can vary depending on the host response. This reportdescribes a case of abdominal gossypiboma after splenectomy. A 48-year-old man who had undergone splenectomy27 years ago was admitted to our clinic suffering from non-specific symptoms for 2 weeks. He was cachectic, but laboratorytest results were normal. Abdominal ultrasonography and computed tomography revealed a mass in the lefthypochondrium. An entero-enteric fistula and an encapsulated foreign body (surgical compress) were detected duringan exploratory laparotomy, and the foreign body was removed. Preventing gossypibomas is very important becauseof their potential to create medico-legal problems and increase mortality and morbidity. Therefore, forgotten surgicalmaterial should be considered in all patients with a surgical history, and surgery should be performed carefully.