Pudendal Neuralgia: The Need for a Holistic Approach-Lessons From a Case Report

Pudendal neuralgia is a form of chronic pelvic pain, although the validity of this diagnosis has not been firmly established. It is characterized by unilateral pain in the pudendal nerve dermatome, mostly while sitting. In this case report, a 76-year-old female patient presented to her general practitioner with a 10-year history of unilateral buttock pain, which had been diagnosed as pudendal neuralgia. She tried various treatments and visited numerous specialists, but there was little improvement overall. Some medications seemed to have a positive effect, but pain ultimately persisted until psychological factors were appropriately addressed. Management of pudendal neuralgia follows general chronic neuralgia principles, from medication over nerve block to definitive surgery. However, this case serves as a prime example of how the psychosocial approach is equally important. Given that psychological factors can make pain persist, it is imperative to properly address them. As pudendal neuralgia is uncommonly encountered in primary care, specific attention must be paid to psychological factors, which become significantly more important in long-standing chronic pelvic pain.