Intrathoracic gossypiboma presenting 47 years later as a purulent fistula: a case report
Shahab Rafieian1, Matin Vahedi1, Javad Sarbazzadeh1
1Department of Thoracic Surgery, Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Qarib Street, Tehran, Iran.
Background:
Intrathoracic gossypiboma is a consequence of retained sponge/swap, gauzoma, muslinoma, textiloma, or cottonoid in the thoracic cavity during surgery. The thoracic cavity is of the rarest place for gossypiboma as these entities most occur after abdominal surgery.
Case Presentation:
We report a case of intrathoracic gossypiboma that was missed for an extended period of time with no symptoms and was successfully treated with surgical intervention.
Conclusions:
The rarity of gossypiboma necessitates a high index of suspicion for correct diagnosis. Gossypiboma is often difficult to diagnose, leading to misdiagnosis and unnecessary interventions. It is important to consider this entity as a diagnosis in any case with an unexplained or unusual presentation during the postoperative period.
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