Pilonidal Cyst - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Pilonidal cysts are pockets of skin in the crease of the buttocks near the end of the tailbone (coccyx). These are normally quite painful, occur somewhat more often in men than in women, and normally happen in early adulthood. Although usually found near the tailbone, this painful condition can be found in several places, including the navel or the armpit . Development of the condition in a place other than the tailbone is exceedingly rare, however. It usually happens in young people, up to their thirties in age. Conditions in which it commonly occurs include obesity , body hair around the area in question, and a sedentary lifestyle . While a traumatic event is not believed to cause a pilonidal cyst, such an event has been known to inflame existing cysts. Treatment consists of surgical opening and draining of the infected sinus. The most commonly used surgical procedure is excision of the cyst, with either an open or closed wound for healing. Laser applied to pilonidal sinus surgery has been shown to reduce postoperative pain and swelling. In some cases the cyst can come back, even after surgery. The reasons for this are not known. When this happens, surgery can again be done, as an outpatient, with the exact nature of the procedure dictated by the nature of the recurrence.

A pilonidal cyst is a cyst at the bottom of the tailbone that can become infected and filled with pus. Once infected, the technical term is pilonidal abscess. Pilonidal cyst is more common in men than in women, usually occurring after puberty. The origin of the problem is not well understood. Some evidence suggests that it may be congenital or that it's acquired by an ingrowth of hair. For a time, the entity was referred to as Jeep Rider's disease. It caused more than 80,000 US Army soldiers to be hospitalized during WWII and accounted for 4.2 million sick days. Much of the information we have about the disease comes from the military. The main problem with pilonidal cysts are the occurrence of infection that leads to a painful abscess. The abscess may rupture, drain spontaneously and then resolve only to recur. After the abscess resolves, either by itself or with medical assistance, many patients develop a pilonidal sinus. The sinus is a cavity below the skin surface that connects to the surface with one or more small openings or tracts.

Causes of Pilonidal Cyst

Common Causes of Pilonidal Cyst :

• Skin and perineal bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and Bacteroides species invade the opening and cause infection.
• Neighbouring hairs or free hairs from other parts of the body collect in the pit and invade the small opening created by the distorted hair follicles.
• Congenital pilonidal dimple.
• Congenital dermal sinus (of which the dimple is the mildest form).

Symptoms of Pilonidal Cyst

Signs and symptoms of Pilonidal Cyst may include :

• Fever, malaise or nausea.
• Redness at the bottom of the spine.
• Swelling at the bottom of the spine.
• Draining pus.
• Pain at the bottom of the spine .

Treatment of Pilonidal Cyst

• Antibiotics to treat the infection.
• Asymptomatic cyst or sinus tracts should be referred to a surgeon for further evaluation to remove the internalized material.
• Surgery to drain the abscess or remove the cyst.
• During this procedure, you're given a local anesthetic to numb the area before your doctor opens and drains the cyst. Afterward, your doctor packs the wound so that it can heal from the inside out.

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