What is pilonidal cyst?
Pilonidal cyst or also called sacral cyst is a pathology caused by the accumulation of hair, located at the base of the spine or coccyx area. It mainly affects young, white men with a lot of hair.
The cyst problem occurs when the hair follicles become infected developing a pilonidal abscess.
Prognosis of the disease
In half of the people who undergo surgery for the first time pilonidal cysts recur. Even after a second surgery, they may recur.
Symptoms of pilonidal cyst
Signs and symptoms of an infected pilonidal cyst, i.e., it becomes a swollen mass (abscess) are as follows:
- Pain
- Reddening of the skin
- Oozing of pus or blood into an opening in the skin
- Unpleasant odor of the oozing pus
The infection may cause fever, malaise, or nausea.
Medical tests for pilonidal cyst
Diagnosis occurs with a physical examination by the specialist, who will look for dimpling in the area, and with the patient’s symptoms of pain.
Pilonidal cyst mainly affects young, white, hairy men.
What are the causes of pilonidal cyst?
Its origin is still unclear, some practitioners establish it as congenital, others as acquired.
However, in most cases where pilonidal cysts appear, their formation seems to be due to loose hairs penetrating the skin.
Some factors such as rubbing skin, tight clothing, cycling, sitting for long periods or similar factors cause friction and pressure force the hairs into the skin. This causes the body to create a cyst around the hair in response to it as a foreign substance.
This explains the rare cases of pilonidal cysts appearing on parts of the body other than those near the coccyx.
Can it be prevented?
Some tips that can be followed to help prevent pilonidal cysts are:
- Keep the area clean.
- If necessary, lose weight
- Avoid sitting for long periods of time
If you have had pilonidal cysts in the past, you may need to shave the area regularly or use hair removal products to reduce the risk of recurrence.
Treatments for pilonidal cyst
Treatment requires surgery if the area where the pilonidal cyst is located is infected, or the hair around the pilonidal cyst can be removed and surgical glue injected.
There are several types of surgery:
- Incision and drainage: this is the most commonly used treatment for an infected cyst. It is a simple procedure performed in the doctor’s office:
- Local anesthesia is used.
- An incision is made in the cyst to drain the fluid and pus. The hole is then filled with gauze and left open.
- Pilonidal cystectomy: If the incision and drainage has not been successful and the patient continues to have problems with pilonidal cyst, it can be surgically removed. The procedure is performed as an outpatient procedure, so you will not have to stay overnight in the hospital.
- General anesthesia, which keeps you asleep and pain-free, or regional anesthesia, which numbs from the waist down, may be used.
- A cut is made to remove the skin with the pores and the underlying tissue with the hair follicles.
- Depending on how much tissue is removed, the area may or may not be filled with gauze. Sometimes a tube is placed to drain the fluid that accumulates after surgery. The tube is removed later when the fluid stops draining.
What specialist treats it?
A specialist in coloproctology is responsible for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the colon, rectum and anus. The pilonidal cyst, being located in the region above the intergluteal fold, would fall within the areas treated by these specialists.
A general surgical specialist can also assist in the treatment of pilonidal cysts.