Gossypiboma: An avoidable but not a rare complication

Gossypiboma is defined as mass of cotton matrix which is left in the body after surgical procedure. It is a rare complication detected after surgical procedure. This condition is under reported because of medicolegal implications. We hereby report three cases of gossypiboma encountered in clinical practice. The preoperative diagnosis of a foreign body was made in two cases. However, in one case it was misdiagnosed as a hydatid cyst.