Textiloma (Gossypiboma) Mimicking A Metastatic Spinal Tumor: A Case Report

Abstract

Cottonoids and sponges are widely used in spinal procedures for subperiosteal muscle dissections. Retention is a well-known, but rarely  reported, complication. A 68-year-old woman, who had undergone rectal cancer surgery three months earlier, was referred to our  hospital when the oncologist discovered a paraspinal mass. Imaging revealed a well-circumscribed bilobulated mass posterior to the lamina of the Th11 vertebra. The preliminary presurgical diagnosis was rectal cancer metastasis. The paraspinal mass was excised. The  pathological investigation revealed a foreign-body response. When a mass is detected in patients who have undergone spinal surgery,  foreign-body reactions should be considered in the differential diagnoses, as well as tumors, abscesses, or hematomas.