Dolor anal nocturno: Proctalgia fugax. A propósito de un caso.

Background: Proctalgia fugax is a relatively rare and probably underdiagnosed pathology, which impairs the quality of life of patients who suffer from it. Clinically, it manifests as intense pain lasting minutes, usually at night, that wakes the patient up, with the patient remaining asymptomatic between crises. There is no curative treatment, although we can shorten the duration of the crisis with inhaled salbutamol. Case presentation: a 52-year-old woman who reported episodes of paroxysmal anal pain that woke her up at night lasting less than 30 minutes, not related to defecation. Physical examination revealed no lesions, and complementary tests were normal. Conclusions: Proctalgia fugax is a rare pathology that interferes with night rest and impairs the quality of life of patients, which can improve after treatment with inhaled salbutamol. It is necessary to indicate to the patient the benignity of this pathology.