Is this perianal abscess and what should I do

I'm posting this simultaneously on both UC and Chron's forums since I've confirmed UC but perianal abscesses are linked to Chron's. Please excuse me for the detailed description but I hope everyone here is already used to these terms.

The last couple of weeks have been stressful and taxing since I had lots of work to be done and had to work overtime. I felt that this is taking toll on me last week when my UC symptoms worsened.

But then few days ago I noticed a small lump just beside my anal opening that was mildly painful.

I immediately got appointment to surgeon-proctologist to check it out. However on the morning of the visit I woke up to discover that the lump was gone. Still I went to the doc and she checked me out but couldn't find anything except for some area that might have been stiffer than usual. She said however that it most probably was abscess but it has drained by itself. At the time I didn't have any other symptoms (no fever etc) so I was left with suggestion to take care of my UC relapse.

Yet the very next morning (which is today) I woke up to discover that one of the inguinal lymph nodes in the groin is swollen and painful. This immediately is a red flag for me as I suspect that the swelling of the lymph node is caused by abscess. But I don't see/feel any. I have no fever but have slight fatigue/weakness.

So I'm here now asking you for some experience and your opinion – what should I do? Should I wait few more days or do I need to look for some help ASAP. Do I need to try to contact the same doc again? Does this sound like an abscess or can the swelling of lymph nodes be caused by something else?

Thanks quincy, I contacted another general doc and she said – let's wait and see what happens.

Anybody with experience of anal abscesses here that cleared on their own?

Globetrotter my husband had an anal abscess a couple of years ago, he does not have an IBD. He ended up in the hospital having it lanced, was on antibiotics & packing of the wound. It was pretty bad. He had to have home health involved because of the packing. He recovered in time & did fine for a while.

Two months ago he had what he thought was another one come up. A few days later he had groin pain in a lymph node. He waited a few days & it resolved on it's own. So far, he has not had anymore problems with it.

Bump

Straydog, your husband's story very much resembles both of what I went through two years ago and also his recent situation is close to where I am now. It's been 3rd day since my suspected abscess is gone and 2nd day since I've got painful lymph nodes (but now that I think about it some of them might have been enlarged already few days earlier).

Could you please ask your husband when precisely did he got the swollen lymph nodes? Was it already after his abscess resolved or days before? And for how long did it take for the swollen lymph nodes to resolve?

Thanks for the info, much appreciated!