Body mass index in meralgia paresthetica: a case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: This case-control study explored the possibility of an association between body mass index (BMI) and meralgia paresthetica (MP).

PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 104 MP cases (33 women and 71 men, mean age 51.7 +/- 15.5 years) were matched for age and sex with 208 neurological and 208 dermatological controls. Differences between cases and controls were analyzed using the Wilcoxon and chi-squared tests. Odds ratio matched K controls (OR(MK)) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were also calculated.

RESULTS: Mean BMIs were 28.0 +/- 4.9 for cases and 26.0 +/- 4.3 and 25.5 +/- 3.9 for neurological and dermatological controls, respectively. There were significant differences between absolute BMI of cases and neurological (P < 0.01) as well as dermatological controls (P < 0.001), and also significant associations between BMI categories and MP (P = 0.008 vs neurological controls and P = 0.004 vs dermatological controls). There were significant OR(MK) for obesity (BMI >or= 30) [OR(MK) vs neurological controls 2.04 (95% CI 1.13-3.67) and vs dermatological controls 2.5 (95% CI 1.4-4.5)].

CONCLUSION: High BMIs were associated with MP. Obesity doubled the risk of MP. MP may be related to increased pressure due to abdominal protrusion.