Skip to main content
British Medical Journal logoLink to British Medical Journal
. 1971 Sep 11;3(5775):625-628, 629. doi: 10.1136/bmj.3.5775.625

Starch Granulomatosis of the Peritoneum

Julian Neely, J Douglas Davies
PMCID: PMC1798775  PMID: 4936540

Abstract

Starch glove powder is used extensively by surgeons in Britain and is generally considered innocuous so that precautions to prevent granuloma formation, previously taken when talc glove powder was in use, are now neglected. Reported here are five cases of starch granulomatosis of the peritoneum occurring over a period of a few months. This condition requires reoperation within a limited time for its diagnosis and may be confused macroscopically with disseminated malignant disease or tuberculosis or may simply cause adhesions. Recognition is dependent on a high degree of suspicion by both surgeon and histopathologist, as special histological techniques may be necessary. Consequently, it is only in a minority of the florid cases that a diagnosis is made, and the condition would appear to be much more common than is generally realized. A plea is made for scrupulous care to avoid starch powder contamination of the operative field.

Full text

PDF
625

Images in this article

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. BATES B. GRANULOMATOUS PERITONITIS SECONDARY TO CORN STARCH. Ann Intern Med. 1965 Feb;62:335–347. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-62-2-335. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Cox K. R. Starch granuloma (pseudo-malignant seedlings). Br J Surg. 1970 Sep;57(9):650–653. doi: 10.1002/bjs.1800570904. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Harder H. I., Christ N. M. The peril of glove powder. Am J Nurs. 1966 Apr;66(4):761–764. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Higton D. I. Squamous cell carcinoma of rectum. Proc R Soc Med. 1970 Aug;63(8):754–754. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. ISING U. Foreign-body granuloma resulting from the use of starch glove powder at surgery. Acta Chir Scand. 1960 Nov 25;120:95–99. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. LEE C. M., Jr, COLLINS W. T., LARGEN T. L. A reappraisal of absorbable glove powder. Surg Gynecol Obstet. 1952 Dec;95(6):725–737. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. MCADAMS G. B. Granulomata caused by absorbable starch glove powder. Surgery. 1956 Feb;39(2):329–336. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. MYERS R. N., DEAVER J. M., BROWN C. E. Granulomatous peritonitis due to starch glove powder: a clinical and experimental study. Ann Surg. 1960 Jan;151:106–112. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. SAXEN L., SAXEN E. STARCH GRANULOMAS AS A PROBLEM IN SURGICAL PATHOLOGY. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand. 1965;64:55–70. doi: 10.1111/apm.1965.64.1.55. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Taft D. A., Lasersohn J. T., Hill L. D. Glove starch granulomatous peritonitis. Am J Surg. 1970 Aug;120(2):231–236. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9610(70)80117-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. WEBB D. F., REGAN J. F. Starch powder granulomas in the peritoneal cavity. Arch Surg. 1962 Mar;84:282–285. doi: 10.1001/archsurg.1962.01300210016003. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Medical Journal are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES