Gossypiboma, an infrequent surgical complication, is a mass lesion due to a retained surgical sponge surrounded by foreign-body reaction. Although it is a rare condition, it is a frequent cause of surgical malpractice. Gossypiboma can be asymptomatic clinically or can result in a granulomatous reaction with intraabdominal abscess development, intestinal obstruction, or fistula formation. A 37 year old woman presented with symptoms of small bowel obstruction. She had history of cystocele repair with abdominal approach 4 months ago. Plain abdominal radiography and contrast enhanced abdominal computerized tomography revealed signs of small bowel obstruction and a soft-tissue mass with a dense, enhanced wall, containing internal hyperdense structures in pelvis. Exploratory laparotomy revealed a surgical sponge surrounded by granulation tissue. Postoperative course was uneventful and ileus relieved. On histologic examination, foreign material reaction and focal fibrosis consistent with gossypiboma was detected. Although gossypiboma is rarely seen in daily clinical practice, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute mechanical intestinal obstruction in patients who underwent abdominal surgery previously.

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