Medical Health Encyclopedia

Groin pain

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Overview Treatment

Groin pain

Alternative Names:

Pain - groin; Lower abdominal pain; Genital pain; Perineal pain

Considerations:

The area where the abdomen ends and the legs begin is called the groin. For males, the terms "groin" and "testicle" are sometimes used interchangeably. But what causes pain in one won't necessarily do so in the other.

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Common Causes:

• Hernia
  • Occurs when the local support tissues weaken, allowing loops of the bowel to slip from the abdomen into the groin
  • Usually, but not always, seen as a bulge when standing upright, coughing, or bearing down (see groin lump)
• Enlarged lymph glands
• Testicular torsion
• Kidney stone
• Orchitis (inflammation of the testicle)
• Epididymitis (inflammation of the epididymis)
• Inflammation of the inguinal ligament
• Testicular tumor
• Superficial skin infection

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