CT scan shows large 8-inch cyst in a woman's abdomen caused by 'sponge left behind during emergency C-section' delivery

This old medical case of a 38-year-old woman in Delhi, who had a swollen and painful hip for years after a cesarean section, is alarming. Read on for details.

A July 16, 2025 report on Livescience.com revealed a CT scan of a 38-year-old woman in New Delhi, who had a swollen and painful hip for years following an emergency cesarean section, and also explained what caused the ‘ballooning cyst’ in the woman's abdomen.

Symptoms and early diagnosis

According to the report, doctors discovered a surgical sponge left behind during the emergency procedure, a serious medical error known as a retained surgical item (RSI). The case highlighted the challenges of diagnosing rare conditions and the importance of surgical intervention.

The report titled 'Diagnostic dilemma: Weird lump in woman's hip was sponge left behind during C-section', said about the woman's symptoms, “The patient had given birth via emergency cesarean section in another country, and after the operation, she noted pain on the right side of her lower abdomen. Doctors at the time told her it was normal postoperative pain, and they didn't explore it further. Eventually, a lump formed at the site, and the woman's pain intensified.”

It added, “Four years after her C-section, the patient sought further medical advice at a New Delhi hospital in 2014. Doctors did an ultrasound and CT scan, which revealed a cyst at the site of pain. However, they could not yet tell what lay at the cyst's core. Their first guess was that it was a mesenteric cyst, a type of benign tumour that can cause discomfort and pain.”

What happened next?

To confirm this potential diagnosis, they turned to MRI. However, the cyst's unusual location and composition made it difficult to identify through imaging techniques like MRI. Therefore, the decision to surgically remove the cyst was made to both diagnose and treat the condition. The surgery reportedly required careful planning and execution, including removing part of the small intestine due to the cyst's fusion with the intestinal tissue.

What did the doctors find?

The report said, “The cyst measured 8 inches (20 centimeters) long — considerably larger than a typical mesenteric cyst, which is normally no bigger than 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter. Upon opening up the cyst, the doctors discovered a surgical sponge embedded in its center, which they concluded must have been left there accidentally during her C-section.”

What makes the case unique?

As per the report, surgeons rarely leave behind a sponge or other object in a patient's abdomen following an operation — a complication known as gossypiboma — ‘but it does happen in about 1 in 1,500 to 1,000 surgeries, estimates suggest’.

It added that a simple mistake like this can occur if doctors need to operate in a rush, if surgical teams change partway through the operation, or if the medical staff lose track of how many sponges have been used over the course of a procedure. Sponges are necessary to soak up blood during an operation, but once they turn red, they can blend in with the flesh and become easy to overlook when it is time to close the wound, the report said.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.