[Chronic perineal pain]

Chronic perineal pain, too easily considered in the past as psychogenic, has undergone significant reshapings in recent years because of a better understanding of pathophysiology. Progress in functional investigations, especially electrophysiological tests, has allowed to define new clinical entities such as pudendal neuralgia or pain linked to pelvic floor disorders. Treatments have been improved, but remain empirical outside these well defined entities. In practice, clinical examination is the main diagnostic step, which allows to exclude common anorectal or pelviperineal lesions, and to consider additional investigations. However diagnosis may remain entirely clinical in some typical presentations.