Hello everyone, I have been away from this site for a while, and have lost my account! I have been suffering from a fissure for 3 years now, but with really careful diet, the bleeding seems to have gone, but the pain is still there constantly. And it is still feeling as if something is going to tear every time I have a bowel movement.

In the past year or so, I have been feeling a tender lump about 4 cm into my anal canal. I am not sure if it is a hemorrhoid because 4 cm seems a bit too deep too 'internal' to be a hemorrhoid esp given that I am a small person. So I worry that it might be a polyp, but then it feels tender and it hurts. The lump itself is soft, and is about 1cm width x 0.5cm length, but it feels as if the canal itself is slightly swollen too. I know that I need to have it looked at professionally, but I just wonder if it sounds worrying? I have been really careful with my diet to ensure soft stool. As a result, I haven't bled for almost a year, but am still feeling the pain and discomfort. The lump has been there for over a year now and it just won't go away! I would really like to go back to the days when I can eat whatever I like, and to be able to cycle again!

Anyway, I wonder how far up is an internal haemorrhoid usually locate..?

Hi there! back. If you would like to use your old account, and you know what the name was and the email, send me a PM with the info and I will send you a new password which you can then change once you logon. I think there are three members with east in the name.

About your question, can't really give you an answer, and suggest a better bet is a CRS for that. Anyway, here is a link on Wikipedia on the anatomy of the anal canal.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anal_canal

Sav

Thanks Sav, yea I am afraid they are all me.. I will PM you.
Thanks for the link, I find the coronal section particularly helpful, because most diagrams online or in textbooks show the anal canal to be open, which is not realistic.
Yea I have actually made an appointment to see Mr Windor next month, but I can only afford the consultation.. I won't be able to pay the treatment, but at least I will hopefully get it properly diagnosed soon.

Oh, the system won't allow me to PM you. It says that I need to participate more before doing so.. but it's okay, I will use this account for the moment. thanks!

If this lump is actually inside your anus, it could very well be an anal papilla, which is associated with an anal fissure and is like the external skin tag that fissures often produce. I had both the papilla and skin tag with my fissure and actually saw the papilla on the monitor when my CRS performed a flexible sigmoidoscopy before doing my LIS. Because I also had prolapsing hemmies, and had to push them back manually, I would often experience pain if I pushed on the papilla itself. My papilla was also very soft (and slimy, because it was inside and covered by mucous membrane instead of regular skin) and could easily have been at least 3cm from the hole.

I hope that you can get some answers when you see the doctor next month. Good luck!

Hi East,

Great that you'll be seeing Mr. Windsor! Sent you a PM.

Thanks chachacha, it does sound a bit like a papilla then.
I wonder if it has ever caused you any trouble?

It used to hurt when I pressed on it while re-inserting the prolapsed hemmorhoids, but other than that it didn't. I don't have the prolapse issue anymore though, so I don't notice it at all.

So I went to see Mr Windsor today. He said it is an anal papilla, just as Chacha suggested. He would not recommend doing anything about it, definitely not surgery unless there is a strong reason, because women have short anal canal (and presumably prone to incontinence if operated on). He thinks that it will get better as I age (older, weaker sphincter), and if I stop worrying about it..!