Femoral hernia the two preoperatively. The diagnosis is largely a clinical one, generally done by physical examination of the groin. However, in obese patients, imaging in the form of ultrasound, CT, or MRI may aid in the diagnosis. For example, an abdominal X-ray showing small bowel obstruction in a female patient with a painful groin lump needs no further investigation. Several other conditions have a similar presentation and must be considered when forming the diagnosis: inguinal hernia, an enlarged femoral lymph node, aneurysm of the femoral artery, dilation of the saphenous vein, athletic pubalgia, and an abscess of the psoas. Femoral hernias,
Femoral artery Femoral artery The femoral artery is a large artery in the thigh and the main arterial supply to the leg. It enters the thigh from behind the inguinal ligament as the common femoral artery, a continuation of the external iliac artery. Injuries to the femoral artery can require reattachment surgery. Here, it lies midway between the anterior superior iliac spine and the symphysis pubis. The common femoral artery gives off the profunda femoris artery and becomes the superficial femoral artery to descend along the anteromedial part of the thigh in the femoral triangle. It enters and passes through the adductor