Polymer clip granuloma mimicking lymph node recurrence: a case report

Foreign body granulomas are postoperative inflammatory reactions to surgical materials within the body. Traditionally, sutures have been the leading cause of foreign body granulomas in the abdomen, commonly referred to as “suture granuloma”. However, the use of polymer clips in modern surgeries has introduced new challenges, and reports of intra-abdominal foreign body granulomas caused by surgical clips are limited. Herein, we present a case of an intra-abdominal foreign body granuloma formed due to polymer clips.

A 45-year-old woman who underwent laparoscopic resection for sigmoid colon adenocarcinoma subsequently developed a suspected lymph node recurrence during follow-up. Imaging showed an enlarging mass adjacent to the inferior mesenteric artery with increased fluorodeoxyglucose uptake. Laparoscopic surgical resection revealed the formation of a foreign body granuloma in response to the polymer clips.

This case suggests that nonabsorbable polymer clips can induce granulomatous reactions postoperatively, and the appearance of lymph node recurrence may be foreign body granulomas.