An unusual case of proctalgia

We report the case of a 21-year-old man with the sudden onset of severe proctalgia followed by headaches and fever. The patient had a lumbar puncture consistent with subarachnoid hemorrhage. After a normal four-vessel cerebral arteriogram, a myelogram and computed tomography scan of the spine were performed and revealed a mass lesion of the L1 level. Pathologic evaluation after resection of the mass resulted in a diagnosis of hemorrhage from a myxopapillary ependymoma. These relatively benign tumors of the cauda equina-filum terminale respond well to treatment. The differential diagnosis of proctalgia is reviewed, and the need for emergency physicians to consider spinal subarachnoid hemorrhage when a patient presents with the acute onset of rectal pain is emphasized.