Hypertrophied Anal Papilla

A 58-year-old woman had a papillary lesion protruding through her anus. She noticed the lesion a week earlier when she had a rash in the area. The lesion was excised in the office and sent for pathological examination.

Results confirmed the suspected clinical diagnosis of a hypertrophied anal papilla—an enlarged teat-like structure that may develop in an anal crypt, at the distal end of the ectodermal folds (Morgagni columns) from the proctodeal membrane. Asymptomatic, chronic low-grade inflammation may cause benign hypertrophy of the papilla. The diagnosis is based on pathological examination.

Treatment options include surgical excision or biopsy for microscopic examination followed by electrodesiccation or cryotherapy for destruction.