Unusual appearance of bowel anastomosis staple line mimicking a retained surgical swab

Abstract

Intra-operatively retained surgical sponges are a cause of both medical and medico-legal problems. Unresolving postoperative sepsis associated with a suspicious radiological finding raises the possibility of a retained surgical sponge. Computed tomography (CT) is the technique of choice for recognition of retained sponges, although the appearance can be highly variable.1 On imaging, a retained surgical sponge can bemimicked by radio-opaquematerials intentionally employed during operation, making it important for radiologists and surgeons to be aware of them. We report a case of unusual appearance of side-to-side jejunal anastomosis staple line that mimicked a retained surgical sponge at CT. Although the possibility of the abnormality being a staple linewas considered, the use of this staple device was new in our institution accounting for the unfamiliarity of its imaging appearance. As a result, a retained surgical spongewas diagnosed leading to re-laprotomy. To the authors’ knowledge, prior to the present case, there have been