Meralgia parestésica: manejo y tratamiento

Abstract

Meralgia paresthetica or neuralgia of the femorocutaneous nerve is a disease characterized by paresthesia, numbness, weakness, and burning pain on the outside of the thigh. The main cause is the compression of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve, which is a pure sensory nerve, which is formed by the union of the nerve roots of L2-L3 and is mainly responsible for the sensitivity of the anterior region and the upper half of the lateral aspect of the thigh. It is a disease that predominantly affects patients between the ages of 30 and 40 with a higher incidence in the male gender. In most cases, the most frequent causes are due to obesity, pregnancy, tight clothing, as well as local trauma or a disease such as diabetes mellitus. In most cases, management consists of moderate measures, however, in severe cases, treatment may consist of analgesic drugs and, rarely, surgical treatment.