Differential diagnosis of a groin pain in a surgical outpatient clinic.

Groin pain is a common reason for patients to seek care at surgical outpatient clinics. Its prevalence in the general population is approximately 7%, rising to 12% in adolescents aged 13-19. The annual incidence in young men related to trauma ranges from 5% to 8%. Although most cases of groin pain are caused by hernias and musculoskeletal pathologies, the overall spectrum of differential diagnoses is broad and includes a heterogeneous group of conditions. Primarily surgical, urological, gynecological, neurological, orthopedic, oncological, vascular, and other disorders may present with groin pain. Secondary pathologies related to previous medical or surgical interventions are considered separately. This review provides an overview of the most important etiologies of groin pain that surgeons should consider during the initial outpatient evaluation.