Cotton Pledgets Thread found Intracranially after Craniotomy: A Case Report

Abstract

We report a case where a thread of cotton pledgets was left behind after a craniotomy. A 61-year-old woman presented with sudden onset vomiting and consciousness disturbance. Computed tomography demonstrated a massive intracerebral hemorrhage in the left frontal lobe, which had collapsed into the lateral ventricle. The hematoma was removed successfully. However post-operative skull X-ray and computed tomography revealed an abnormal linear structure. Immediately, a second operation was performed and a thread of cotton pledgets was removed. The thread fell from the cotton pledgets during the first craniotomy. The radiography contrasting nature of the thread made it easy to find this thread later. In order to prevent such an occurance, it is important that we use cotton pledgets with radiography contrasting thread, count the used cottons and take a skull X-ray at the end of the operation.