2019 Volume 34 Issue 1 Pages 64-69
Gossypibomas (gauzeomas) are foreign body granulomas resulting from gauze remaining in the body after surgical operations and are caused by inflammatory reactions. We report a symptomless case of gauzeoma arising from a cholecystectomy performed at another hospital. A 50-year-old male had undergone cholecystectomy for gallstones, which was complicated by peritonitis. Twenty years later, at our health check-up center, a smooth hypoechoic mass (40 × 38 mm) was detected in the inferior space of the liver near the abdominal aorta and stomach, by abdominal ultrasound. There was a partially hyperechoic region in the interior of the mass. The origin of mass was unknown. In our outpatient clinic, a folded fabric appearance was observed in both an abdominal CT scan and MRI. No active region was detected in the mass by PET/CT. Surgery was performed for the mass and subsequent pathological examination produced a diagnosis of gauzeoma.
According to previous studies, gauzeomas cause various complications, which can be serious. While the incidence of gauzeoma has decreased through the use of opaque markers that are visible on radiographs, the possibility of symptomless gauzeoma requires attention, even in Ningen Dock.
