Which condition is a mass of dilated veins in the anorectal area?

• A. Hemorrhoids
• B. Hernia
• C. Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• D. Hydronephrosis

Answer: (A)

A mass of dilated veins in the anorectal area is hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids come from enlargement of the venous cushions that line the anal canal, and they can be internal (above the dentate line) or external (below it). They often present as a bulge at the anus and may cause painless bleeding with defecation (internal) or, if an external hemorrhoid thromboses, may be painful. This finding is distinct from other options: a hernia is a protrusion of tissue through a weakness in the abdominal wall, not dilated anorectal veins; irritable bowel syndrome is a functional disorder with abdominal pain and bowel habit changes rather than a vascular mass in the anorectal region; and hydronephrosis is dilation of the kidney’s collecting system due to obstruction, far removed from the anorectal area.