Swollen and/or Painful Groin

Abstract

The groin is where the trunk meets the thigh. The intra-abdominal viscera are separated from somatic structures of the lower limb, yet portals must exist to allow nerves, lymphatics, blood vessels, and other structures to pass to the thigh and genitalia. As with all portals, this predisposes to hernias of various kinds, and inguinal hernia remains the most common cause of groin swelling and the repair of inguinal hernia the most commonly performed operation in general surgical practice. Even so, repair of groin hernia continues to challenge surgeons, thus identifying the complexity of the regional anatomy and the mysteries of function of the anterior abdominal wall, pelvic musculature, and ligaments. Of course, not all swellings in or about the groin are hernias, and this chapter takes an anatomic approach to guide the reader through clinical diagnosis of the soft tissue swellings in the groin arising from the structures present in the region.