Abstract
Retained gauze swabs in the neck have seldom been reported. We present the case of a 27-years-old man who suffered a persistent discharging sinus for 8 years following excision of a right submandibular gland. Computed tomography fistulography was done showing a Blind track ending into a cavity just beneath the floor of mouth. Neck exploration eventually revealed 2 gauze swabs that were tightly packed in the area of submandibular duct. This article further emphasizes the importance of sound operative room practice to avoid this serious problem.
Highlights
We present the case of a 27-years-old man who suffered a persistent discharging sinus for 8 years following excision of a right submandibular gland
Neck exploration eventually revealed 2 gauze swabs that were tightly packed in the area of submandibular duct
Gossypiboma is the technical term for a retained surgical sponge (RSS)
Summary
Gossypiboma is the technical term for a retained surgical sponge (RSS). The true incidence of RSS is difficult to determine due to underreporting [1,2]. The patient reported the sinus to appear after removing a drain which has been placed. On examination the man was 90 kilograms body weight and 182 centimeters height, there was a healed scar of previous surgery and a discharging sinus in the right submandibular region the discharge was purulent. On opening the cyst a purulent discharge appeared and irrigation of the cavity further revealed white fabric fibers (Figure 4). With traction on these fibers two small sponges were found and removed (Figure 5). Another dangerous practice is dividing swabs into 2 or more pieces to form the so-called peanut swab this helps to mess up the final count
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