eMedicine Specialties > Orthopedic Surgery > Hip

Meralgia Paresthetica: Workup

Author: Ira Kornbluth, MD, MA, Managing Partner, Spine Medicine and Rehabilitation Therapies
Coauthor(s): Phillip J Marone, MD, MSPH, Clinical Professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Jefferson Medical College
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Mar 16, 2009

Workup

Laboratory Studies

  • Laboratory evaluation for diabetes and thyroid disorders may be warranted in some cases. Although meralgia paresthetica is not an obscure condition, the diagnosis may be elusive because it is based largely on clinical grounds.

Imaging Studies

  • Imaging studies are not of any specific benefit in diagnosing meralgia paresthetica, except in excluding differential diagnoses.
  • If a mass lesion or fracture is suspected as the cause of this entity, appropriate imaging may be warranted.

Other Tests

  • An electrodiagnostic evaluation, including electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction studies, is often not necessary but may be helpful as an adjunct to the history and physical examination in confirming the diagnosis of meralgia paresthetica and establishing a prognosis. Nerve conduction tests can help determine the severity of the nerve injury by comparing the result with standard values and with the contralateral side. The smaller the amplitude relative to the contralateral side, the greater the nerve dysfunction. Frequently, recording needles are required for sensory testing to ensure adequate responses. If very low amplitudes are obtained, an average of responses may be used. Needle EMG testing should be performed to evaluate for other conditions such as radiculopathy or other peripheral neuropathies.
    • Comparing nerve conduction study findings on the affected side with those from the contralateral side provides some indication of the nature and severity of the nerve injury. Studies may be confounded by the fact that many patients have bilateral involvement. The lateral femoral cutaneous nerve can be stimulated as it exits the pelvis, with potentials recorded distally, or it can be stimulated distally, with recordings made proximally.
    • Needle EMG may be performed to exclude other pathology. In meralgia paresthetica, needle EMG findings should be normal.
    • Somatosensory evoked potentials have been found to be less accurate than nerve conduction studies.

More on Meralgia Paresthetica

Overview: Meralgia Paresthetica
Workup: Meralgia Paresthetica
Treatment: Meralgia Paresthetica
Follow-up: Meralgia Paresthetica
Multimedia: Meralgia Paresthetica
References
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References

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  2. Preston DC, Shapiro BE. Lateral femoral cutaneous neuropathy. In: Electromyography and Neuromuscular Disorders: Clinical-Electrophysiologic Correlations. Boston, Mass: Butterworth-Heinemann; 1997:. 477.

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  4. Mondelli M, Rossi S, Romano C. Body mass index in meralgia paresthetica: a case-control study. Acta Neurol Scand. Aug 2007;116(2):118-23. [Medline].

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  8. de Ridder VA, de Lange S, Popta JV. Anatomical variations of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve and the consequences for surgery. J Orthop Trauma. Mar-Apr 1999;13(3):207-11. [Medline].

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  15. Alberti O, Wickboldt J, Becker R. Suprainguinal retroperitoneal approach for the successful surgical treatment of meralgia paresthetica. J Neurosurg. Oct 31 2008;[Medline].

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Further Reading

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Keywords

meralgia paresthetica, lateral femoral cutaneous nerve neuropathy, neuropraxic injury, axonotmesis, neurotmesis, thigh pain, lateral femoral cutaneous nerve compression, leg neuropathy, thigh neuropathy, nerve entrapment syndromes, nerve entrapment of the lower extremity

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Ira Kornbluth, MD, MA, Managing Partner, Spine Medicine and Rehabilitation Therapies
Ira Kornbluth, MD, MA is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians, and Physiatric Association of Spine, Sports and Occupational Rehabilitation
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Phillip J Marone, MD, MSPH, Clinical Professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Jefferson Medical College
Phillip J Marone, MD, MSPH is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American College of Surgeons, American Medical Association, American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, and Philadelphia County Medical Society
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Miguel A Schmitz, MD, Consulting Surgeon, Department of Orthopedics, Klamath Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Clinic
Miguel A Schmitz, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, and Arthroscopy Association of North America
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD, Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Managing Editor

B Sonny Bal, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Missouri School of Medicine
B Sonny Bal, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

Dinesh Patel, MD, FACS, Associate Clinical Professor of Orthopedic Surgery, Harvard Medical School; Chief of Arthroscopic Surgery, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital
Dinesh Patel, MD, FACS is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, American College of International Physicians, and American College of Surgeons
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

William L Jaffe, MD, Clinical Professor of Orthopedic Surgery, New York University School of Medicine; Vice Chairman, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, New York University Hospital for Joint Diseases
William L Jaffe, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American College of Surgeons, American Orthopaedic Association, Eastern Orthopaedic Association, and New York Academy of Medicine
Disclosure: Stryker Orthopaedics Consulting fee Speaking and teaching

 
 
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