Anal fissure.

Anal fissure is a common problem, vexing to both patients and physicians. The historical mainstay of therapy has been some method of partial division of the internal anal sphincter with the serious potential complication of fecal incontinence. Nonsurgical treatment methods were therefore pursued, producing healing rates less than that seen after surgical therapy but none of the morbidity of surgery. This article summarizes accepted methods of modern medical and surgical therapy for anal fissure and offers a rationale for treatment type selection.