Abstract
Retained surgical sponges (RSS) are inflammatory masses due to surgical sponges remaining after surgery. We experienced an RSS case of a 58 year old woman who was scheduled for a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. She had a past medical history of a cesarean section 30 years earlier. A CT scan imaged a mass with well-defined margins in her right lower quadrant. Suspecting a gynecologic disease such as an ovarian tumor, we further examined her with a pelvic exam, ultrasound (US), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Under a diagnosis of the right ovarian tumor, we performed laparoscopic removal of the pelvic mass following the cholecystectomy. Laparoscopic findings were a 5 cm diameter mass surrounded by the right adnexa, greater omentum, and colon. Pathologic examination revealed that the mass contained numerous threads (foreign bodies), histiocytes, multinucleated giant cells, and ossification. The final diagnosis was RSS incurred at a surgical procedure 30 years ago. This case illustrates the need to include RSS in a patient with a history of past surgery and evaluate imaging studies in this context.
