Abstract
An 81-year-old woman was seen at the hospital because of abdominal pain and nausea on 19 September 2003. On physical examination, lower abdominal tenderness and distension were noted. An abdominal CT scan showed distension of the small intestine and a calcigerous mass. The patient underwent conservative therapy upon admission. Despite conservative treatment, peritoneal irritation developed and an emergency laparotomy was performed. Intraoperatively, the laparotomy revealed many adhesions and the distended small intestine adhered to the calcigerous mass at its center giving it a cloverleaf-like appearance. The adhesive intestine was resected. Pathological examination revealed the fiber-like substance to be gauze fibers. We report the rare case of a retained surgical sponge in a patient who presented with intestinal obstruction-like symptoms about 50 years postsurgically.
