The anal canal is a short tube surrounded by muscle at the end of your rectum. The rectum is the bottom section of your colon large intestine. When you have a bowel movement, stool leaves your body from the rectum through the anal canal. As the cancer grows, it may stay in nearby tissues or spread to other parts of the body, a process called metastasis. Anal cancer starts in the cells around or just inside the anal opening. A person may be diagnosed with precancerous cells in the anal area.
Digestive Tract: Rectal and Colon Diseases and Conditions
Swollen anus: Causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatments
Jump to content. Rectal prolapse occurs when part or all of the wall of the rectum slides out of place, sometimes sticking out of the anus. See a picture of rectal prolapse. There are three types of rectal prolapse. In severe cases of rectal prolapse, a section of the large intestine drops from its normal position as the tissues that hold it in place stretch. Typically there is a sharp bend where the rectum begins.
An anal fissure fissure-in-ano is a small, oval shaped tear in skin that lines the opening of the anus. Fissures typically cause severe pain and bleeding with bowel movements. Fissures are quite common in the general population, but are often confused with other causes of pain and bleeding, such as hemorrhoids. Anal fissures can occur at any age and have equal gender distribution. A small number of patients may actually have fissures in both the front and the back locations.
Anal swelling can occur for a variety of reasons. Most causes of a swollen anus are temporary and harmless, but some require medical attention. The anus is at the end of the rectum, and muscle surrounds it. Depending on the cause of the swelling, people may have additional symptoms, such as pain, itching, burning, or bleeding around the anus.