The most common surgically retained foreign body is t506e laparotomy sponge, and since cotton sponges are inert, they do not undergo any specific decomposition or biochemical reaction. Pathologically, however, two types of foreign body reaction occur: either type there is an aseptic fibrinous response that creates adhesions and encapsulation, resulting in a foreign-body granuloma, or the response is exudative in nature and leads to abscess formation with or without secondary bacterial invasion. We describe the case of a 52-year-old woman with a past history of cholecystectomy in whom a foreign-body abscess mimicked a hepatic tumor. Index words : Peritoneum, abscess Foreign bodies