title: [Unusual cause of a mass in the superior pole of the kidney: report of a case].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We report the case of a 33 year old female presenting with an upper pole renal mass suggestive of renal cell carcinoma which in the pathological specimen resulted to be a retained surgical gauze.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The case of a female patient with history of previous nephrolithotomy 5 years before who presented with flank pain. CT-scan and ultrasound were suggestive of malignant renal mass.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A retained surgical gauze should always be suspected in all patient with an abdominal mass and with history of previous surgery close to the area of the lesion without caring the time lapsed between surgery and the discovery.
authors.affiliation: Sección de Urología, Clínica C.E.S., Hospital Pablo Tobón Uribe, Instituto de Ciencias de la Salud C.E.S., Medellín, Colombia. uribetrujillo@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Carlos Alberto
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Uribe
authors.forename: Rafael Ignacio
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Castellanos
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vélez
authors.forename: Férez
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Flórez
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gaviria
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D015745:Granuloma, Foreign-Body / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007669:Kidney Calculi / Q000601:surgery; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D009392:Nephrectomy; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D015503:Surgical Sponges