Spinal gossypiboma

Gossypiboma describes a reaction due to a mass within the body composed of a retained surgical cotton matrix surrounded by a foreign body. Although it can cause serious complications, it is rarely reported due to medicolegal implications. Here, we report a case of a 79-year-old female patient who presented with lower back pain for 1 month. She had undergone spinal surgery for a herniated intervertebral disc at the L5-S1 level more than 10 years ago. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine revealed a paraspinal mass over the right sacral region at the S1-S2 level. Surgery was performed, and the mass, which was composed of surgical gauze and surrounding granulation tissue, was removed. Although gossypiboma is rarely reported, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a paraspinal tumor in patients with previous spinal surgery. Copyright (C) 2016, Taiwan Surgical Association. Published by Elsevier Taiwan LLC.