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Anal abscess
Anal fistulas most commonly develop as a result of an anal abscess. An abscess is a collection of pus and infected fluid. An anal abscess normally develops after a small gland, just inside the anus, becomes infected with bacteria or foreign matter. Abscesses are usually treated with a course of antibiotics. In most cases, you will also need to have the infected fluid drained away from the abscess.
If an anal abscess bursts before it has been treated, then it can sometimes lead to an anal fistula. A fistula may also occur if an abscess has not completely healed, or if the infected fluid has not been entirely drained away.
An abscess does not always develop into a fistula. Approximately half of all people who experience an anal abscess will go on to develop a fistula. There is no way of predicting when a fistula will develop.
Anal fistulas are also a common complication of conditions that result in inflammation of the intestines. Some of these conditions include:
- irritable bowel syndrome (IBS),
- diverticulitis,
- ulcerative colitis,
- Crohn's disease,
- tuberculosis,
- gonorrhoea, and
- cancer of the rectum.
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