The diagnosis of proctalgia fugax can be made using the Rome IV criteria.
Criteria for the diagnosis of proctalgia fugax - all of the following:
(1) recurrent episodes of pain localized to the rectum
(2) pain is unrelated to defecation
(3) episodes last <= 30 minutes, usually seconds or minutes
(4) absence of anorectal pain between episodes
(5) exclusion of alternative explanations
where:
• Alternative explanations: inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), intramuscular abscess, anal fissure, thrombosed hemorrhoids, coccygodynia, prostatitis in a male, or major structural alterations of the pelvic floor.
Research criteria included the addition of:
(1) symptoms onset >= 6 months before the diagnosis
(2) criteria fulfilled in the 3 months before the diagnosis
