Laparoscopy as a cause of a false-positive Meckel's scan.

A new cause of a false-positive result of a Meckel's scan is reported. An 11-year-old girl had a 3-week history of constant right lower quadrant pain that was initially managed by laparoscopic appendectomy. A repeated laparoscopy for persistent pain was nondiagnostic. A missed Meckel's diverticulum was considered as the cause of this pain, which prompted a Meckel scan. This scan revealed a periumbilical focus of activity that was interpreted as a Meckel's diverticulum attached to the anterior abdominal wall by a band. The laparotomy showed no Meckel's diverticulum. The false-positive result of the Meckel scan may be the result of inflammation from the periumbilical laparoscopic port site.