A anal fissure is a tear in the tissue lining of the anus. Anal fissures are mostly located posteriorly in the midline and extend from the anal opening. They typically occur during passage of hard stools.

You can identify about the presence of an anal fissure by its signs and symptoms like
- a crack in the skin around the anus.
- anal pain during and after bowel movements.
- blood in stool.
- a small mass or lump on the skin near fissure.

There are various causes of anal fissure like
-chronic constipation and excessive straining during stool passage
-passage of hard stools
-anal intercourse, childbirth
-inflammatory bowel diseases, anal cancer
-infectious diseases like syphilis, tuberculosis, HIV

Risk factors for developing anal fissures include
- Excessive straining while passing stool
- Childbirth
- Inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn's disease
- Passage of hard stools
- Anal intercourse
- Chronic cough

Anal fissures are usually diagnosed by physical examination. Other tests include
- Anoscopy
- Sigmoidoscopy
- Colonoscopy