Management of medically intractable genitofemoral and ilioingunal neuralgia

To evaluate the effectiveness of invasive procedures in medically intractable genitofemoral and ilioingunal neuralgia.

This is a prospective study of 20 patients with genitofemoral and ilioinguinal neuralgias who were treated at our medical center between 2007 and 2011. Genitofemoral and ilioinguinal nerve blocks were performed in all cases after medical treatment had failed to alleviate the patients' pain. Neurectomy was performed for the patients whose pain did not improve. Patient histories, physical examinations and visual analogue scale scores before and after treatments were analyzed.

Fourteen (70%) of the patients were treated with nerve blocks and six (30%) of the patients whose pain did not improve with nerve block application underwent neurectomy which resulted in pain relief.

For patients with medically intractable genitofemoral and ilioinguinal neuralgias, nerve blocks and neurectomies can be applied safely for pain control.