Meralgia paresthetica: a report on two cases treated surgically

Abstract

Meralgia paresthetica (Bernhart-Roth Syndrome) is characterised by pain, burning, or tingling paresthesias, and decreased touch and pain sensation on the anterolateral aspect of the thigh. It is due to neuropathy of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LFCN). Conservative treatment is usually successful in relieving the symptoms in most of the patients. We describe two patients who required surgical treatment for intractable symptoms. Although neurolysis with transposition is the most common procedure, we preferred neurectomy with excision of a portion of the LFCN for its very low recurrence rate as opposed to neurolysis. The area of anesthesia generated by this procedure in the distribution of the LFCN tends to shrink with time. Moreover, this pathology, to our knowledge, has not been reported much in the African literature.