Masood Jawaid.
Gossypiboma – the forgotten swab.
Pak J Med Sci Jan ;19(2):141-3.

The medical profession has coined a word for a left-behind surgical sponge which is known as Gossypiboma. It is taken from the Latin word gossypium for cotton and the Swahili boma for place of concealment. Although this terminology is not new but many healthcare professionals are not familiar with it. A synonym for this word is textiloma, which combines the word textile (until recently most surgical sponges were made of cloth) and the suffix -oma, meaning a tumor or growth. This is a special communication.

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