A 13-year-old textiloma (gossypiboma) after discectomy for lumbar disc herniation: a case report and review of the literature

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: A paraspinal retained surgical sponge (textiloma) is rare and mostly asymptomatic in chronic cases but can be confused with other soft-tissue masses. Therefore, it is important to be aware of patients with a paraspinal soft-tissue mass with unusual or atypical symptoms. PURPOSE: A patient with asymptomatic chronic paraspinal textiloma who was operated on 13 years ago for lumbar disc herniation is presented. STUDY DESIGN: Case report. METHODS: A patient presented with complaints of back pain radiating to leg and neurogenic claudication. Computed tomography imaging revealed canal stenosis at L3-L5 levels and a soft-tissue mass at the paraspinal muscles of the L5-S1 level. RESULTS: Surgical treatment was performed for both to excise or obtain biopsy from the soft-tissue mass and to treat spinal stenosis. During the operation, a retained surgical sponge was found and excised completely with fibrous capsule surrounding it and decompression and posterior spinal instrumentation performed without fusion for spinal stenosis with dynamic pedicle screws (Cosmic Pedicle Screw System; Ulrich AG, Germany). Recovery was uneventful, and the patient's stenosis symptoms were resolved soon after surgery. CONCLUSION: Retained surgical sponges do not show mostly any specific clinical and radiological signs. They should be included in differential diagnoses of soft-tissue masses at the paraspinal region with a history of a previous spinal operation. 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.