Volume 26, Issue 1 pp. 7-17
POSITION PAPER
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Recommendations on the management of pudendal nerve entrapment syndrome: A formalised expert consensus

Amélie Levesque

Corresponding Author

Amélie Levesque

Urology Department, Nantes University Hospital, Nantes, France

Correspondence

Amélie Levesque, Federative Pelvic Pain Center, Nantes University Hospital, Service d'urologie, 1, place Alexis Ricordeau, 44 093 Nantes, France.

Email: [email protected]

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Eric Bautrant

Eric Bautrant

Pelvi-Perineal Surgery and Rehabilitation Department, Private Medical Centre “l'Avancée-Clinique Axium”, Aix en Provence, France

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Virginie Quistrebert

Virginie Quistrebert

Urology Department, Nantes University Hospital, Nantes, France

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Guy Valancogne

Guy Valancogne

"Tête d'or" Reeducation Centre, Lyon, France

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Thibault Riant

Thibault Riant

Maurice Bensignor Multidisciplinary Pain Center, Centre Catherine de Sienne, Nantes, France

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Marc Beer Gabel

Marc Beer Gabel

Neurogastroenterology and Pelvic Floor Unit, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel

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Anne-Marie Leroi

Anne-Marie Leroi

Physiology Department, Rouen University Hospital, Rouen, France

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Katleen Jottard

Katleen Jottard

Department of Surgery, Brugmann Hospital, Brussels, Belgium

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Luc Bruyninx

Luc Bruyninx

Department of Surgery, Brugmann Hospital, Brussels, Belgium

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Gerard Amarenco

Gerard Amarenco

GRC 001, GREEN Groupe de Recherche Clinique en Neuro-Urologie, AP-HP, Hôpital Tenon, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France

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Lara Quintas

Lara Quintas

Department of Gynecology, Clinical Institute of Gynecology, Obstetrics, and Neonatology, Faculty of Medicine, Barcelona, Spain

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Pascale Picard

Pascale Picard

Neurology Department, Clermont-Ferrand University Hospital, Inserm, Clermont-Ferrand, France

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Thierry Vancaillie

Thierry Vancaillie

School of Women and Children, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

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Christine Leveque

Christine Leveque

Pelvi-Perineal Surgery and Rehabilitation Department, Private Medical Centre “l'Avancée-Clinique Axium”, Aix en Provence, France

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Frédérique Mohy

Frédérique Mohy

Pain Management Center, University Hospital Felix Guyon, SAINT DENIS, La Reunion, France

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Bruno Rioult

Bruno Rioult

Maurice Bensignor Multidisciplinary Pain Center, Centre Catherine de Sienne, Nantes, France

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Stéphane Ploteau

Stéphane Ploteau

Department of Gynecology-Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine, Nantes University Hospital, Nantes, France

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Jean-Jacques Labat

Jean-Jacques Labat

Urology Department, Nantes University Hospital, Nantes, France

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Amandine Guinet-Lacoste

Amandine Guinet-Lacoste

Hospices Civils de Lyon, Hôpital Henry Gabrielle, Plate-forme Mouvement et Handicap, Lyon, France

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Bertrand Quinio

Bertrand Quinio

Pain Center, Regional University Hospital la Cavale Blanche, Brest, France

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Michel Cosson

Michel Cosson

Departement of Gynecology, University Hopsital Jeanne De Flandre, Lille, France

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Rebecca Haddad

Rebecca Haddad

GRC 001, GREEN Groupe de Recherche Clinique en Neuro-Urologie, AP-HP, Hôpital Tenon, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France

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Xavier Deffieux

Xavier Deffieux

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Antoine Beclere Hospital, Assistance Publique Hopitaux de Paris, Clamart University Paris-Saclay, Clamart, France

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Marie-Aimée Perrouin-Verbe

Marie-Aimée Perrouin-Verbe

Urology Department, Nantes University Hospital, Nantes, France

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Claire Garreau

Claire Garreau

General Practitioner's Office, Le Bono, France

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Roger Robert

Roger Robert

Maurice Bensignor Multidisciplinary Pain Center, Centre Catherine de Sienne, Nantes, France

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First published: 13 October 2021
Citations: 6

Funding information

The translation fees were paid by ConvergencesPP.

Abstract

Background

Since the development and publication of diagnostic criteria for pudendal nerve entrapment (PNE) syndrome in 2008, no comprehensive work has been published on the clinical knowledge in the management of this condition. The aim of this work was to develop recommendations on the diagnosis and the management of PNE.

Methods

The methodology of this study was based on French High Authority for Health Method for the development of good practice and the literature review was based on the PRISMA method. The selected articles have all been evaluated according to the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians assessment grid.

Results

The results of the literature review and expert consensus are incorporated into 10 sections to describe diagnosis and management of PNE: (1) diagnosis of PNE, (2) patients advice and precautions, (3) drugs treatments, (4) physiotherapy, (5) transcutaneous electrostimulations (TENS), (6) psychotherapy, (7) injections, (8) surgery, (9) pulsed radiofrequency, and (10) Neuromodulation. The following major points should be noted: (i) the relevance of 4+1 Nantes criteria for diagnosis; (ii) the preference for initial monotherapy with tri-tetracyclics or gabapentinoids; (iii) the lack of effect of opiates, (iv) the likely relevance (pending more controlled studies) of physiotherapy, TENS and cognitive behavioural therapy; (v) the incertitudes (lack of data) regarding corticoid injections, (vi) surgery is a long term effective treatment and (vii) radiofrequency needs a longer follow-up to be currently proposed in this indication.

Conclusion

These recommendations should allow rational and homogeneous management of patients suffering from PNE. They should also allow to shorten the delays of management by directing the primary care.

Significance

Pudendal nerve entrapment (PNE) has only been known for about 20 years and its management is heterogeneous from one practitioner to another. This work offers a synthesis of the literature and international experts' opinions on the diagnosis and management of PNE.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

A conflict of interest agreement was requested from each of the participating experts. No conflicts of interest were declared by the authors.

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