ICD-10 | Meralgia paresthetica, unspecified lower limb (G57. 10)
Meralgia paresthetica or meralgia paraesthetica is numbness or pain in the outer thigh not caused by injury to the thigh, but by injury to a nerve that extends from the spinal column to the thigh. Innervation of lateral cutaneous nerve of the thigh (shaded area) on the right leg.
The lateral cutaneous nerve of the thigh (also called the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve) is a cutaneous nerve of the thigh. It originates from the dorsal divisions of the second and third lumbar nerves from the lumbar plexus. It passes under the inguinal ligament to reach the thigh.
Meralgia paresthetica is a disorder characterized by tingling, numbness, and burning pain in the outer side of the thigh. The disorder is caused by compression of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve, a sensory nerve to the skin, as it exits the pelvis.
Lateral femoral cutaneous neuropathy is a focal neuropathy caused by compression of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LFCN) at the level of anterior‐superior iliac spine or inguinal ligament. It is commonly associated with diabetes mellitus, obesity, and wearing tight clothing.
Medical Definition of meralgia : pain especially of a neuralgic kind in the thigh.
The femoral triangle is formed by the lateral border of adductor longus, the medial border of sartorius and the inguinal ligament (with pectineus and illiopsoas forming the floor). It contains, from lateral to medial, the femoral nerve, artery and vein.
The lateral femoral cutaneous nerve is derived from the femoral nerve in approximately 10% of cadavers studied ostensibly, because the femoral nerve is also derived from posterior divisions of the anterior rami of the lumbar nerves.
Anterior femoral cutaneous nerves These nerves emerge from the anterior branch of the femoral nerve in the femoral triangle. From their origin, they descend along the path of the sartorius muscle, piercing the fascia later to supply the skin of the anteromedial aspects of the thigh.
One of the false sciaticas is called “meralgia paresthetica.” Meralgia paresthetica is a compression of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve as the nerve travels under the inguinal ligament of the pelvis.
Meralgia paresthetica is a condition that causes numbness, pain, or a burning feeling in your outer thigh. You might also hear it called Bernhardt-Roth syndrome. It happens when there's too much pressure on or damage to one of the nerves in your leg, specifically the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LFCN).
Inguinal and femoral hernias, herniated discs, and a groin injury can cause numbness in your groin and inner thigh. If you also experience loss of sensation in your legs or problems with bladder or bowel control, see a doctor immediately. This may be caused by cauda equina, which requires urgent surgery.