Femoral Bulge
摘要
An incidental bulge or mass can be a worrisome finding for patients and physicians. When discovered by the patient after seeing a bulge or mass or experiencing symptoms, they are evaluated for these findings by primary physicians, the emergency department, or urgent care centers. Many times, primary care providers notice the finding on routine exam. Femoral bulges are an important finding that requires thoughtful evaluation to delineate their etiology and pathology. Some causes of a femoral bulge include femoral hernia, lymphadenopathy, abscess, soft tissue mass (such as a benign or malignant tumor), and femoral aneurysm. Many of these need to be addressed with surgery and for a femoral bulge, a low threshold for surgical referral is recommended. In this chapter, we aim to review the initial workup of a femoral bulge, discuss the possible ancillary studies that may help further diagnosis, and provide an overview of common differential diagnoses for this finding.