In a healthy person, fissures typically heal within weeks. In a person with Crohn’s—a chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that can affect any part of the digestive tract from mouth to anus—the body’s constant state of inflammation prevents normal healing.
For most people, an anal fissure—a small tear or crack in the lining of the anus—is a painful but temporary problem, often linked to constipation. However, for individuals living with Crohn’s disease , fissures take on a different, more complex character. They are not just a mechanical tear; they are often a manifestation of the disease itself . fissures crohn's disease
The most significant risk of an untreated fissure in Crohn’s disease is the development of a —an abnormal tunnel that forms from the anal canal to the skin or into nearby organs. Because Crohn’s causes deep, transmural inflammation (through the entire bowel wall), a simple surface tear can burrow deeper, creating a chronic, draining tunnel. In a healthy person, fissures typically heal within weeks