Splenogonadal fusion.

Splenogonadal fusion (SGF) is a rare congenital non-malignant anomaly characterized by fusion of splenic tissue to the gonad, and can be continuous or discontinuous. Very few cases have been diagnosed preoperatively, and many patients who present with testicular swelling undergo unnecessary orchiectomy under the suspicion of testicular neoplasm. A 16-year-old boy presented with a left scrotal mass and underwent total excision of a 1.6-cm tumor without damaging the testis, epididymis or its accompanying vessels. Pathologic examination revealed SFG (discontinuous type). If clinically suspected before surgery, the diagnosis may be confirmed by Tc-99m sulfur colloid imaging, which shows uptake in both the spleen and accessory splenic tissue within the scrotum. Frozen section should be considered if there remains any doubt regarding the diagnosis during operation.

Gossypiboma--retained surgical sponge.

Intra-abdominal retained surgical sponge is an uncommon surgical error. Herein, we report a 92-year-old woman who was brought to the emergency room for acute urinary retention. She had a history of vaginal hysterectomy for uterine prolapse 18 years previously, performed at our hospital. Retained surgical sponge in the pelvic cavity was suspected by abdominal computed tomography. The surgical gauze was removed by laparotomy excision and the final diagnosis was gossypiboma.