title: Migration of a foreign body into the colon and its autonomous excretion.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The frequency of foreign body retention in the abdominal cavity ranges from 1 in 100 to 1 in 3000 surgeries performed. Worldwide literature describes only a few cases of the migration of misplaced surgical gauze into the colon.
  
  
  METHODS
  The first case is a 60-year-old patient following laparoscopic cholecystectomy, who excreted (on his own) a cotton sheet 30 × 65 cm after 26 weeks, which did not possess a radiological locator. The latter fact caused diagnostic difficulties in interpreting ultrasonography, CT-scans and abdominal X-rays. Colonoscopy after 4 months following the excretion of the sheet showed flat, stretched ulceration of the colonic wall near the hepatic turn. The second case is a 76-year-old who had undergone several abdominal surgeries, including a classical cholecystectomy and extirpation of the uterus along with related tissues, as a result of cancer and with subsequent radiotherapy. The reason for the last intervention was an occlusion, which required a resection due to abscesses inside the peritoneal cavity. Abdominal pain continued after the surgery. Uroscopy and abdominal X-rays were performed 3 months later, which confirmed the presence of foreign matter in the abdominal cavity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most foreign objects that have migrated into the colon will be excreted autonomously, which warrants a conservative assessment. Radiologically-tagged materials should be used, which will greatly ease identification in cases of suspected retention of surgical materials in the abdominal cavity.
authors.affiliation: Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Modrzejewski
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kiciak
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sledż
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sygit
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Borycka-Kiciak
authors.forename: Wilhelm
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Grzesiak
authors.forename: Wiesław
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tarnowski
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003106:Colon / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005548:Foreign-Body Migration / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011860:Radiography, Abdominal; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed