What causes anal swelling?

There are many reasons for anal swelling. It may be due to internal hemorrhoid inflammation caused by dry stool, or it may be due to proctitis, or even anal tumor. Therefore, the problem of anal swelling can be serious or minor. If you feel any discomfort, it is best to go to the hospital for further examination.

Inflammation of internal hemorrhoids: Due to dry stool or other reasons, the surface mucosa of the internal hemorrhoids will erode, edema, bleeding and a large amount of blood clots will form under the mucosa. In severe cases, the hemorrhoids may protrude from the anus. Most patients have a strong feeling of anal prolapse, and patients with incarcerated hemorrhoids may also experience severe pain.

Inflammation of the rectum and anal sinus: If chronic colitis involves the rectum, there may be a feeling of anal prolapse and increased frequency of bowel movements. The course of the disease is generally long, with repeated attacks and varying degrees of severity. Inflammation is one of the main causes of anal swelling.

Internal rectal prolapse: also known as "rectal prolapse", refers to the prolapse of the tissue inside the anus to the outside of the anus. The rectal mucosa is loose and accumulates in the rectum, but has not yet fallen out of the anus, which can cause a feeling of heaviness and distension in the anus and a feeling of incomplete defecation. Internal rectal prolapse refers to the folding of the entire layer of the proximal rectal wall or the mucosal layer alone into the distal intestinal cavity or anal canal during defecation, without exceeding the outer edge of the anus, and persisting after the fecal mass is discharged.

Malignant tumors of the anal canal and rectum: Anal swelling often occurs in the middle or late stages of the disease. An analysis of the causes of misdiagnosis of 52 cases of rectal cancer showed that among 28 cases with anal distension, 19 were misdiagnosed as hemorrhoids, 6 were misdiagnosed as chronic colitis, 1 was misdiagnosed as bacterial dysentery, 1 was misdiagnosed as anal fissure, and 1 was misdiagnosed as lower gastrointestinal bleeding.

Perianal abscess: [5] It has an acute onset and is easily misdiagnosed.