Gossypiboma: A case of retained intra-luminal surgical sponge leading to delayed diagnosis and treatment in a Nigerian patient.

Gossypiboma, a term used to describe a retained foreign body mass of cotton (sponge, abdominal mop or gauze) within the body after a surgical procedure, is an uncommon but serious surgical complication. It can manifest with various clinical presentations and often leads to delayed diagnosis and significant morbidity. This report highlights the need for a repeat exploration at the end of open abdominal surgeries as routine. The case presented is that of a young female who underwent open myomectomy in an outreach setting, and subsequently developed symptoms of an acute abdomen due to a retained abdominal mop seen at surgery. The abdominal mop seen at laparotomy had migrated transmurally and became trapped within the ileum and ileocecal junction. After removal of the intra-luminal abdominal mop and abdominal closure, she had post-operative malnutrition and anaemia that were corrected as she regained full recovery. The incidence of gossypiboma is believed to be underestimated in developing countries, and surgical sponges are the most frequently retained foreign bodies. Accurate estimates of the incidence are challenging due to socio-cultural impediments and fear of litigation. Prompt recognition and prevention of gossypiboma are crucial to avoid associated complications and improve patient outcomes.

Comparative Analysis of Percutaneous Drainage versus Operative Drainage of Intra-Abdominal Abscesses in a Resource-Limited Setting: The Tanzanian Experience.

Background: Intra-abdominal abscesses (IAAs) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. While image-guided percutaneous abscess drainage (PAD) has become the standard of care in many countries, over half of the global population does not have access to interventional radiology (IR) and are left with surgery as the only option for source control. Objective: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the development, implementation, and role of a PAD service in a resource-limited setting. Method: A retrospective cohort study was performed on all patients who underwent percutaneous or surgical abscess drainage (SAD) of IAAs at Tanzania's national referral hospital from 10/2018 to 4/2021. Patients were identified through a match case search of institutional records and inclusion was confirmed through manual chart review. Demographics, patient presentation, procedural data, and clinical outcomes were recorded in a password-encrypted database and compared between groups. Findings: Sixty-three patients underwent abscess drainage: 32 percutaneously and 31 surgically. In the PAD group, there was a 100% technical success rate and a 0% complication rate. In the SAD group, there was a 64.5% technical success rate and ten deaths within 30 days (32.3%), and one additional complication requiring major therapy (3.2%) (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Results from this study demonstrate that PAD can be performed with high technical success and without complication by trained IR physicians in Tanzania. The development of a successful PAD program exemplifies the drastic need to support the growth of IR services in this setting.