A 31-year-old pericardial textiloma.

Gossypibomas are uncommon but important complications of surgery. This case report is of a gossypiboma found accidentally 31 years after heart surgery. A 41-year-old man had lost 5 kg in the previous three months and suffered from intermittent epigastric discomfort. A computed tomography scan incidentally revealed a well-defined mass in the right lower anterior mediastinum. Given his history of previous cardiac surgery to repair a ventricular septal defect, the possibility of gossypiboma could not be excluded. Elective excision of the mass was performed through a median sternotomy, and a 5-cm ovoid mass consisting of a thrombus and gauze was removed. The postoperative course was uneventful. The patient's clinical findings were normal, with no abnormal findings on transthoracic echocardiogram performed one year later.