Ilioinguinal Neuralgia
Ilioinguinal Neuralgia
Ilioinguinal neuralgia is a frequent cause of pain in the lower abdomen.
Ilioinguinal neuralgia is caused by the ilioinguinal nerve entrapment as it pierces the transverse abdominis muscle near to the anterior aspect of the iliac crest. The most common causes of the ilioinguinal nerve entrapment are pelvic surgery and blunt trauma. Ilioinguinal neuralgia will very seldom occur by itself. The pain is stabbing, sharp,piercing,burning and radiating to the groin and medial thigh.
Anatomy:
The Ilioinguinal nerve arises from Th12, L1 anterior rami of spinal nerves. It emerges from the lateral border of the psoas major muscle ,passes obliquely across the quadratus lumborum and iliacus muscles and perforates the transverse abdominis muscle and the internal oblique muscle near the anterior superior iliac spine.Then the nerve enters the inguinal canal and exits the superficial inguinal ring to innervate the groin area.
Diagnosis:
After ruling out other causes of pain it is recommended to perform the diagnostic block with a local anesthetic. If the pain gets better we can perform a steroid injection or a nerve hydrodissection.
Dr. Marcin Goczewski performs the diagnostic block, steroid injection and the ilioinguinal nerve hydrodissection under ultrasound guidance,
