Groin pain

What is it about ?

Groin pain can have several causes, which vary by age.

Children and adolescents

• Ligament or muscle injury from overload. These lesions are frequent. In this case, moving the leg inward against resistance is painful;
• Acute inflammation of the lining of the hip joint (synovitis). It often occurs after a respiratory tract infection;
• Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease (juvenile osteochondritis of the femoral head). It is a condition related to the fact that part of the head of the femur dies (necrosis). It usually affects boys aged 5 to 9;
• Epiphysis of the head of the femur. It is a displacement of the head of the femur relative to the neck of the femur. It is more common in overweight adolescent boys;
• Stress fracture of the femur or pubic bone. It occurs in the event of a very heavy load;
• Bone tumor. The most common tumor is a benign tumor which causes pain especially at night;
• Inflammation of the joints. Inflammation can develop as part of rheumatic disease. In this case, other joints are usually also inflamed;
• Bacterial infection of the joint. It is usually accompanied by fever;
• Painful lymph nodes in the groin. The cause is usually an infection in the leg or in the pubic area;
• Inguinal hernia, characterized by swelling usually visible in the groin area;
• Hip bursitis;
• Hip joint cyst. It is a benign dilation of the lining of the joints or tendons, usually associated with cartilage damage;
• Radiant pain in the groin due to a problem with the urinary tract, testes or prostate.

Adults and Elderly

Many of the causes described above can also occur in adults and the elderly. In addition to these causes, groin pain in adults or the elderly can be related to:

• Osteoarthritis of the hip. It is linked to the wear and tear of the hip joint. It causes pain in the groin, often radiating to the knee;
• Inflammation of the sacroiliac joints (or joints of the sacrum);
• Pressure on a nerve. A nerve can be compressed in the lower back or on its way to a nerve;
• Femur fracture ;
• Osteonecrosis of the head of the femur.

How to recognize it?

Symptoms depend on the cause. The first symptoms may be a feeling of tightness or stiffness, pain, swelling, discoloration or weakness of the limb. These symptoms can appear suddenly after a specific movement, or rather gradually.

How is the diagnosis made?

The doctor will ask you a few questions about your symptoms and then perform a physical examination. This usually allows him to make a diagnosis. In some cases, an x-ray, ultrasound, or blood test is helpful to refine the diagnosis.

What can you do ?

If groin pain persists or for which you do not see an obvious cause, such as a sports injury, it is recommended that you contact your GP.

What can your doctor do?

Management depends on the diagnosis. Some cases can be handled by the general practitioner, while others will be referred to the hospital instead.

Want to know more?

• My child is going to have an X-ray – Plaster
• My child is going to have an ultrasound – Plaster

• The radiography, here, Where to find on this page of Cliniques St Luc UCL
• Ultrasound here Where to find on this page of Cliniques St Luc UCL

Source

Foreign clinical practice guide ‘Pain in the groin’ (2000), updated on 16.05.2017 and adapted to the Belgian context on 27.12.2017 – ebpracticenet