Three cases of intrathoracic gossypiboma with varying morbidities depending on the time of detection.

An intrathoracic gossypiboma (surgical sponge retained within the thoracic cavity during surgery) is rare but causes serious surgical complications and presents with difficulties in the differential diagnosis. In this article, we describe three cases of intrathoracic gossypiboma identified with the help of exploratory surgery 22, 10 and 3 years after they had been retained after surgery. The radiological findings varied in these cases and were insufficient for an accurate preoperative diagnosis. Marked deterioration in the neighboring lung tissue was observed over time, and the patients who had gossypibomas for 22, 10 and 3 years required pneumonectomy, lobectomy and partial decortication, respectively.