A Case of Small Bowel Obstruction Caused by an Intraperitoneal Retained Surgical Gauze that Migrated into the Small Intestine

Abstract

A 47-year-old woman, who had a total hysterectomy for a uterine myoma 7 years prior, presented with epigastralgia. The abdominal X-ray and CT images showed a small bowel obstruction due to an intra-intestinal foreign body. An ileus tube was inserted to reduce intestinal pressure. However, urgent surgery was required because the patient developed peritonitis. During the operation, a small bowel perforation located 50 cm from the terminal ileum on the oral side was observed. Furthermore, in the intestine, a tumor-like lesion located 20 cm from the terminal ileum on the oral side was found. A detailed examination showed that it consisted of surgical gauze. The migration of intraperitoneal retained surgical gauze into the small bowel is very rare ; only 14 cases have been reported in Japan, including this case.