Ask the Expert

Get answers to your Hernia questions.

Note: This is for informational purposes only. Doctors cannot provide a diagnosis or individual treatment advice via e-mail. Please consult your physician about your specific health care concerns.

Please install flash player to see this video.

Robotic Surgery Virtual Tour

Femoral hernia - Overview

Alternative Names

Femorocele; Enteromerocele; Crural hernia

Definition of Femoral hernia:

A femoral hernia is the sticking out of a part of the intestine through a weakening in the abdominal wall near the thigh.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

A hernia occurs when abdominal contents, usually part of the small intestine, push through a weak point or tear in the thin muscular wall of the abdomen that holds the abdominal organs in place.

In a femoral hernia, a bulge is usually present in the upper part of the thigh, just below the groin, where the femoral artery and vein pass. Femoral hernias tend to occur more often in women than in men.

Inguinal hernia

Femoral hernia

Reviewed last on: 10/24/2008
David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and George F. Longstreth, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, San Diego, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Prather C. Inflammatory and anatomic diseases of the intestine, peritoneum, mesentery, and omentum. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 145.

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997- A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

Home > Medical Reference > Encyclopedia (English)