Alcock canal syndrome (Pudendal nerve entrapment syndrome)

Alcock canal syndrome (Pudendal nerve entrapment syndrome)

Alcock canal syndrome is a rare medical condition

Most commonly this disease is associated with dysfunction of the pelvis

This disease is an acquired peripheral neuropathy disease

Alcock canal syndrome is a rare entrapment neuropathy of the pudendal nerve. 

Cardinal Features of this condition

Neuropathic Pain which is chronic in nature.

What are the common sites of the pain?

The most common sites of the pain are radiating from clitoris to anus and from penis to anus

This pain usually involves the pudendal nerve, especially the sensory territory of the nerve

Synonyms of Alcock canal syndrome

• Pudendal neuralgia
• Pudendal algia
• Pudendal nerve entrapment syndrome
• Pudendal neuralgia by pudendal nerve entrapment

Symptoms and Signs of Alcock canal syndrome

Very Common Symptoms and Signs (80%-98%)

• Abdominal colic
• Back pain 
• Constipation
• Dyspareunia 
• Dysuria 
• Episodic abdominal pain 
• Impotence 
• Paresthesia 
• Pollakisuria 
• Scrotal pain 
• Vulvodynia 

Diagnostic criterion

• Insomnia
• Scrotal pain
• Vulvodynia

Exclusion criterion

• Anal canal adenocarcinoma
• Epigastric pain 
• Genital neoplasm 
• Insomnia
• Neoplasm of the genitourinary tract 
• Pruritus
• Sensory impairment

What are the Factors which aggravate the symptoms of this condition?

Prolonged sitting aggravate the symptoms of this condition

Research Evidence

A case of perineal neuralgia where pudendal nerve compression was due to fibrosis of the obturator internus muscle following an injury of the muscle.

After being misdiagnosed for 2 years, the patient was diagnosed only after a combined neurophysiologic and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) investigation.

This case underlines the importance of performing focused neurophysiologic and neuroimaging studies in patients with neuropathic perineal pain in order to reach a correct diagnosis.