[The secret of the pyramids ... or calcifications in Meckel's diverticulum]

The authors present the case of a 59 year-old patient with numerous stratified stercoliths within a large Meckel's diverticulum. An abdominal X-ray without contrast material, done while the patient was in acute abdominal pain showed a liquid-density mass. The diagnosis was considered because of the presence, within the mass, of a fluid level and several unusual calcifications. Ultrasound ruled out a gall-bladder or urinary origin. Surgical excision of the mass confirmed the diagnosis; the X-ray of the specimen allowed a comparison with the previous abdominal X-rays. The authors review the literature on the subject and suggest a gamut for the differential diagnosis of stratified calcifications of the abdomen.