Textiloma: a case of foreign body mimicking a dermoid/mesenteric cyst

Items such as cotton or gauze pads can be mistakenly left behind during operations. Such foreign materials (called textiloma) cause foreign body reaction in the surrounding tissue. The complications caused by these foreign bodies are well known, but cases are rarely published because of medico-legal implications. Some textilomas cause infection or abscess formation in the early stage, whereas others remain clinically silent for many years. Here, we describe a case of textiloma in which the patient presented with huge abdominal lump 6 years after caesarean section operation abroad. Imaging revealed a dermoid / mesenteric cyst in pelvis and left lower abdomen. The case was treated successfully in Apollo Hospitals Dhaka and discussed here in the light of published literature.DOI: 10.3329/pulse.v3i1.6548Pulse Vol.3(1) July 2009 p20-22