• Aya Haji Mohamad, Mohammad Al-Jawad, Abdulrazak Anadani, Hilal Matar, and Ammar Niazi.
• Faculty of Medicine, Aleppo University Hospital, University of Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria.
• Medicine (Baltimore). 2024 Aug 23; 103 (34): e39227e39227.

RationaleGossypiboma is a term that refers to the condition of accidentally retained surgical gauze after surgeries. While many manifestations and complications are possible in this case, the migration of the retained gauze into the gastric cavity is one of the rarest. In this paper, we report the largest migrated surgical towel to the gastric cavity in the literature, measuring 90 cm × 90 cm.Patient ConcernsA 33-year-old woman with recurrent epigastric pain unresponsive to treatment was referred to our hospital. She had undergone an open surgery cholecystectomy 11 years before admission during wartime in Syria.DiagnosesAbdominal computed tomography with contrast showed a large mass in the stomach, indicating malignancy. However, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a gray-black foreign body occupying the entire gastric lumen, which indicated the presence of bezoar. Upon surgery, the final diagnosis of gastric gossypiboma was made; which was a retained surgical towel from the previous cholecystectomy that had fully migrated to the stomach and resembled both malignancy and bezoar upon investigation.InterventionsThe patient underwent open surgery to excise the foreign body.OutcomesThe gossypiboma was successfully removed, and the patient was discharged 5 days after the operation without complications.LessonsRetained surgical items, such as gossypiboma, can lead to significant medical complications. The migration of gossypiboma to the stomach, though rare, poses challenges in diagnosis and management, often requiring open surgical removal to prevent adverse outcomes. Early detection and intervention are crucial to avoiding associated morbidity and mortality. It is important to consider gossypiboma in patients with unexplained abdominal pain following surgery and to emphasize meticulous sponge counting to prevent this complication.Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.

17 keywords...

hide…