[Postoperative intra-abdominal foreign body resemblance to neoplasm. Report of a case and review of the bibliography]. / Cuerpo extraño intra-abdominal postquirúrgico simulador de neoplasia. Presentación de un caso y revisión de la bibliografía.

INTRODUCTION: Gossypibomas or textilomas are materials remain in the abdomen after surgery. It is very difficult to assess its impact due to medico-legal implications, hence the interest in the publication of this type of pathology. CLINICAL CASE: Women of 76 years who had undergone a hysterectomy and double anexectomy 6 months before admission to our hospital, apparently without perioperative complications. When she was assessed in our hospital she had a clinical picture simulating a malignancy. In our case, the patient had signs and symptoms of advanced intra-abdominal malignancy, such as chronic anemia, significant weight loss and palpable abdominal mass. The diagnostic procedure combined computed tomography and colonoscopy, aiming to find the signs of intra-abdominal gossypiboma. Three bowel resections were performed to extract the foreign body, with satisfactory postoperative results and remaining asymptomatic to date. CONCLUSION: Intra-abdominal gossypibomas are exceptional, although the diagnosis is made through imaging and, if suspected GI neoplasm, endoscopic studies. The primary differential diagnosis must be made with intra-abdominal malignancies.