• Arada Wongmek, Susan Shin, and Lan Zhou.
• Department of Neurology, Icahn Medical School of Mount Sinai, 1468 Madison Avenue, Box 1052, New York, New York, 10029, USA.
• Muscle Nerve. 2016 Apr 1; 53 (4): 641-3.

IntroductionMeralgia paresthetica is a focal neuropathy caused by compression of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LFCN). The disease can be difficult to assess by neurophysiological or imaging studies.MethodsWe studied 5 patients who presented to our neuromuscular clinic from April 2012 to December 2014 with a clinical suspicion of meralgia paresthetica and had skin biopsies with intraepidermal nerve fiber density (IENFD) evaluation.ResultsThe mean age at onset was 37.2 (range 21-59) years. There were 4 women and 1 man. Two were obese, 2 wore tight jeans, and 1 had mild diabetes mellitus. IENFD was reduced in the symptomatic proximal thigh in all 5 patients and was also reduced in the asymptomatic thigh in 2 patients. It was normal in the distal leg in 4 patients.ConclusionMeralgia paresthetica is associated with loss of small intraepidermal nerve fibers. Skin biopsy with IENFD evaluation may be a useful diagnostic tool for this disease.© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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