Meralgia paresthetica

Meralgia paresthetica (MP) (meralgia, from the Greek mēros = thigh and álgos = pain) is a neuropathic dysesthesia in the anterolateral thigh, usually caused by compression or injury to the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LFCN). See also Cheiralgia paraesthetica.

Burning or stabbing pain on the anterolateral side of the thigh

Paresthesia (tingling, pins and needles)

Hypoesthesia or numbness

Neuropathic itching (pruritus neuropathicus)

Occasional allodynia and dysesthesia

Since the lateral cutaneous nerve of the thigh is exclusively sensory, no motor deficits occur.

The diagnosis is based primarily on typical symptoms combined with a positive response to infiltration therapy. In atypical cases, electrophysiological tests, neurosonography, and magnetic resonance imaging may be helpful in establishing the diagnosis. In a meta-analysis of 149 cases, pain relief was reported following infiltration therapy in 85% of cases and following surgery in 80% of cases, with a follow-up period ranging from 1 to 38 months. In another meta-analysis of 670 cases, pain relief occurred in 22% of cases following an infiltration, in 63% following surgical decompression, and in 85% following a neurectomy (Scholz C et al. 2023).

Conservative treatment methods include weight loss, avoiding tight-fitting clothing, medication with anti-inflammatory and neuropathic agents, and corticosteroid injections.

For patients with MP who do not respond to these measures, radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a minimally invasive option that can provide pain relief.

1. Abd-Elsayed A et al. (2025) Radiofrequency Ablation of the Lateral Femoral Cutaneous Nerve for Meralgia Paresthetica: A Description of a Novel Technique. Adv Ther 42:5845-5853.
2. Scholz C et al. (2023) Meralgia paresthetica: Relevance, Diagnosis, and Treatment. Dtsch Arztebl Int 120:655–661.