[Foreign body in abdomen: report of a case]

The case of a 51 year-old female patient, who underwent a cholecystectomy four years ago is presented. She approached the surgical department at the Hospital Belén of Trujillo, Peru, suffering of abdominal pain for the past four months and with the presence of a mass located in the epigastrium occupying part of the right hypochondrium. A thoracic x-ray showed an encysted left pleural effusion, and an abdominal echography was compatible with a pancreatic pseudo-cyst. An exploratory laparectomy was performed and a 15x9 cm mass was found in the sub-hepatic area. This mass had a semisolid consistency with a rounded shape and multiple adherences to the upper omentum and the liver. In the macroscopic exam, after the dissection of the cyst, a 25x42 cm gauze was found inside the mass which was full of biliary fluid. Due to the unspecific clinical and image diagnosis it was decided to carry out a review of this topic, which is suspected of being under-recorded in this country.