Malignant ventricular arrhythmia associated to gossypiboma. Clinical case report

Abstract

A gossypiboma, oblitoma or textiloma is defined as a surgical object left in the interior of the body after surgery. It represents an uncommon but potentially life threatening post-surgery complication. Clinical manifestations are variable and depend on location, relations and size, from pseudo-tumoral masses, bleeding, fever, pain and other nonspecific presentations. The onset of symptoms is unpredictable, occurring from months or years after surgery. Patients may course asymptomatically and be diagnosed incidentally as an imaging finding. We describe a case of a patient with gossypiboma diagnosed 40 years after undergoing cardiac surgery, who presented with a malignant ventricular arrhythmia.