[Urethral and scrotal pain syndromes].
Painful diseases of the pelvis are not rare. Urethral and scrotal pains are part of the chronic pelvic pain syndromes along with chronic prostatitis and painful bladder syndrome/interstitial cystitis. The objective of this review is to update the current knowledge about epidimiology, etiology, diagnosis and best treatment for patients with urethral and scrotal pain syndromes. Epidemiological data for both syndromes are scant. We lack of uniform definition or readily available diagnostic marker and aetiology remains unclear. The pain could be a neuropathic without a specific stimulus or disproportionate to the stimulus intensity. Regarding diagnosis, there is no evidence to qualify or quantify the symptoms to include or exclude patients. Nevertheless, it is very important to know functional neuroanatomy in the evaluation of these patients. Treatment always should be primary conservatively. Surgery should be avoided if possible. As no specific treatment is available, decrease the pain is the main objective, therefore urologist should know how to manage analgesics, antidepressant and anticonvulsants.