Gossypiboma neck: a case report with review of literature

<p class="abstract">Gossypiboma is a dreaded event in surgical expertise. We report a case of post hemithyroidectomy gossypiboma removed 4 years post primary surgery. Initially suspecting it to be a tubercular abscess and fistula, we surprisingly found a surgical gauze on neck exploration. To understand the magnitude of this problem we assembled data on reported gossypibomas post neck surgeries. A detailed search of literature revealed 16 publications (20 cases) with varied clinical picture and differentials. Our case is only the fourth published case wherein there is such a long-standing history and the first to assemble data and review literature on exclusive neck gossypibomas. Although, neck is regarded as a confined cavity with very few obvious crevices where foreign body can be left behind iatrogenically; still, gossypiboma needs to be kept as a differential, especially with a previous surgical history.</p>