Retained surgical bodies are usually associated with procedures that involve large surgical spaces, such as thoracic or abdominal cavities; however, caution must also be taken with otorhinolaryngology surgeries as they also involve various potential surgical spaces. Retained surgical bodies usually reported are the remainders of surgical materials or instruments, but as surgical drains or packing materials may be left behind, special care must be taken when removing them. In this article, we report, with a literature review, as case of retained surgical body from a surgery 33 years ago that was mistaken for a thyroid nodule.