Acute anal pain due to ingested bone.

Six cases of acute and anal pain due to impaction of ingested bone in the anal canal are reported. The clinical presentation mimicks common causes of acute anal pain such as perianal abscesses, fissures or thrombosed haemorrhoids. The diagnosis is readily made on simple digital rectal examination. Early removal of the bone results in immediate pain relief, whilst delayed diagnosis may result in deeper penetration of the bone and abscess formation.