title: Sonographic and electrophysiologic findings in patients with meralgia paresthetica.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was aimed to demonstrate the usefulness of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of meralgia paresthetica (MP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical data, sensory nerve conduction study and sonographic findings of 23 patients with unilateral MP were analyzed retrospectively. Twelve healthy subjects were recruited for the optimal cut-off value for the cross-sectional area of LFCN to diagnose MP using receiver operating characteristic curves.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median value of the cross-sectional area of LFCN in healthy subjects was 3mm(2) and in the affected and unaffected sides in patients with MP, they were 11 and 6.5mm(2) around the anterior superior iliac spine level. The optimal cut-off value for the diagnosis of MP was 5mm(2). The location of LFCN on the affected side was superior to the inguinal ligament in 12 out of 23 cases (50%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ultrasonography is useful in the diagnosis of MP as a supplemental diagnostic tool, which gives important information about the morphologic changes that occur in the LFCN and its course.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to suggest that describe the cutoff value of the cross-sectional area of LFCN for the diagnosis of MP using ultrasonography.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Dong Hun
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Suh
authors.forename: Dong Hwee
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jong Woong
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Byung Kyu
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D005267:Femoral Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology; D020428:Femoral Neuropathy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009408:Nerve Compression Syndromes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology; D012372:ROC Curve; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012867:Skin / Q000294:innervation; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014463:Ultrasonography; D055815:Young Adult