Read more about this disease, some with Classification – Types – Signs and symptoms – Genetics – Pathophysiology – Diagnosis – Screening – Prevention – Treatment and management – Cures and much more, some including pictures and video when available.
A pilonidal cyst, also referred as sacrococcygeal fistula, is a cyst near the natal cleft of the buttocks that often contains hair and skin debris.[1]
Pilonidal means “nest of hair”, and is derived from the Latin words for hair (“pilus”) and nest (“nidus”).[1] The term was used by Herbert Mayo as early as 1830.[2][3][4] R.M. Hodges was the first to use the phrase “pilonidal cyst” to describe the condition in 1880.[5][6]
Pilonidal cysts can be painful, afflict men more frequently than women, and typically occur between the ages of 15 and 24.[1] Although usually found near the tailbone, the condition can also affect the navel, armpit or penis,[7] though these locations are much more rare.
A sinus tract, or small channel, may originate from the source of infection and open to the surface of the skin. Material from the cyst may drain through the pilonidal sinus. A pilonidal cyst is usually painful, but with draining, the patient might not feel pain.
One proposed cause of pilonidal cysts is ingrown hair.[8] Excessive sitting is thought to predispose people to the condition because they increase pressure on the coccyx region. Trauma is not believed to cause a pilonidal cyst; however, such an event may inflame an existing cyst. However there are cases where this can occur months after a localized injury to the area. Some researchers have proposed that pilonidal cysts may be the result of a congenital pilonidal dimple.[9] Excessive sweating can also contribute to the cause of a pilonidal cyst.
The condition was widespread in the United States Army during World War II. More than eighty thousand soldiers having the condition required hospitalization.[10] It was termed “Jeep riders’ disease,” because a large portion of people who were being hospitalized for it rode in jeeps, and prolonged rides in the bumpy vehicles were believed to have caused the condition due to irritation and pressure on the tailbone.
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