Postoperative Textiloma Mimicking Intracranial Rebleeding in a Patient with Spontaneous Hemorrhage: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Abstract

During craniotomy, hemostatic materials such as oxidized cellulose and cotton pads, commonly used to control bleeding, may cause a granulomatous reaction that may produce space-occupying mass lesions termed textiloma (or gossypiboma). We present a 46-year-old female who underwent a right frontotemporal craniotomy and surgical removal of intraparenchymal cerebral hemorrhage, and who developed a textiloma during the postoperative period causing seizures. Granulomatous reactions due to hemostatic agents have been reported experimentally, as well as after cranial and spinal operations. We emphasize that although it is rare, an adverse reaction such as a postoperative textiloma due to hemostatic material and subsequent granuloma formation can result in a false image of rebleeding, tumor recurrence, radiation necrosis, or postoperative abscess, depending on the particular clinical history of each patient.