Gossypiboma Mimicking FDG-avid Lung Nodule

We present the case of a 55 year old female presenting with a FDG-avid lung nodule 8 months after a coronary artery bypass graft procedure. This mass was later discovered to be a gossypiboma caused by retained surgical sponge material. There have been prior reports of intra-thoracic gossypiboma presenting with various imaging findings, however none that have presented as a PET-avid lung nodule mimicking a malignancy.Retained surgical sponge material can be a complication for both intra-abdominal and intra-thoracic procedures. In some cases, this material is not discovered in the immediate post-operative period and presents later in the patients course as a mass with varying signs and symptoms depending the location. The term gossypiboma, derived from the latin gossypium meaning cotton, refers to the aseptic fibrotic and granulomatous inflammatory response to surgical sponge material. Furthermore, intra-thoracic gossypiboma is a rare complication and the few case reports have a wide spectrum of presentations and imaging findings.
Source: The Annals of Thoracic Surgery - Category: Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Source Type: research