Anterior femoral cutaneous nerve injury following femoral catheterization: A case series and review

Femoral vessel catheterization is widely performed for diagnostic and therapeutic indications but carries a small risk of injury to adjacent nerves. Anterior femoral cutaneous nerve (AFCN) injury is an under-recognized cause of persistent anteromedial thigh neuropathic pain after femoral arterial access. We review the anatomy of the AFCN and its branches, the intermediate femoral cutaneous nerve (IFCN) and medial femoral cutaneous nerev (MFCN), together with the mechanisms of injury, clinical presentation, and management, and present two cases of catheterization-related neuropathic pain consistent with intermediate femoral cutaneous nerve (IFCN) involvement that were successfully treated with ultrasound-guided hydro-dissection. Both patients achieved sustained symptom resolution at six months. These cases highlight AFCN injury as a treatable complication of femoral access and support a role for targeted ultrasound-guided hydro-dissection in selected patients.