Anatomical variability of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve: findings from a surgical series.

The lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LFCN) is a branch of the lumbar plexus and supplies the skin of the lateral thigh region. This entrapment-compressive syndrome is named meralgia paresthetica or Roth's meralgia and depends, on a vast majority of cases, on the entrapment of the nerve in proximity of the inguinal ligament. Surgical decompression of the nerve is an option when conservative treatments fail and is usually performed through a 3-cm infrainguinal skin incision.