PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Charles H. Knowles AU - Richard C. Cohen TI - Chronic anal pain: A review of causes, diagnosis, and treatment AID - 10.3949/ccjm.89a.21102 DP - 2022 Jun 01 TA - Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine PG - 336--343 VI - 89 IP - 6 4099 - http://www.ccjm.org/content/89/6/336.short 4100 - http://www.ccjm.org/content/89/6/336.full SO - Cleve Clin J Med2022 Jun 01; 89 AB - Chronic anal pain is difficult to diagnose and treat, especially with no obvious anorectal cause apparent on clinical examination. This review identifies 3 main diagnostic categories for chronic anal pain: local causes, functional anorectal pain, and neuropathic pain syndromes. Conditions covered within these categories include proctalgia fugax, levator ani syndrome, pudendal neuralgia, and coccygodynia. The signs, symptoms, relevant diagnostic tests, and main treatments for each condition are reviewed.