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A retained plastic protective cover mimicking malignancy: Case report
Mustafa Ozsoy1, Bahadır Celep, Ismail Ozsan
1Department of General Surgery, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyon, Turkey.
International Journal of Surgery Case Reports
|November 19, 2013
Summary
Retained surgical foreign bodies can cause complications and mimic cancer recurrence on PET/CT scans. Prompt identification is crucial for accurate diagnosis and patient management following oncologic surgery.
Area of Science:
- Surgical pathology
- Oncology
- Radiology
Background:
- Unintentionally retained foreign bodies after surgery can lead to severe complications and medico-legal issues.
- Such cases are more prevalent in developing countries.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate a case where retained foreign bodies mimicked malignancy recurrence on PET/CT scans.
- To highlight the diagnostic challenges posed by retained surgical items.
Main Methods:
- A 60-year-old male, post-nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma, presented with abdominal cramps.
- Abdominal tomography and PET/CT revealed a mass with increased FDG uptake, suggesting recurrence.
- Retroperitoneal lymph node dissection identified retained plastic foreign bodies, not malignant cells.
Main Results:
- Histopathological examination of the surgical specimen revealed retained plastic foreign bodies.
- No malignant cells were found in the examined specimen.
- The findings suggest that retained foreign bodies can cause a granulomatous reaction mimicking disease recurrence.
Conclusions:
- Retained foreign bodies can elicit an inflammatory and granulomatous response, potentially confusing patient follow-up.
- Increased FDG uptake on PET/CT scans due to retained foreign bodies can mimic tumor recurrence after cancer surgery.
- Accurate differentiation between retained foreign bodies and actual disease recurrence is critical for appropriate patient management.
