Pilonidal disease (pilar cyst)

Pilonidal disease (pilar cyst)

The term "pylonidal" cyst is derived from the Latin words pilus (hair) and nidus (nest), which means chronic subcutaneous infection and reaction of organism to its own hairs, when embedded in the skin. The reasons for this lesion are unknown, but it is supposed that the chronic irritation and infection of hair follicle are decisive for appearance of complaints. Pilonidal disease is most frequent in males between the puberty and 40 years of age, in people with overweight and in more haired people.

What are the cyst complaints?

Pylonidal disease has three main symptoms:

1. Almost all patients pass through the stage of acute inflammation formation- abscess or furuncle.

2. After spontaneous or surgical opening of abscess, pylonidal sinus tract is formed.

3. If the cyst is not self-healed, later everything may be repeated. This leads to chronification of lesion and in long-term development result big inflammations.

Cyst diagnosis

At doctor’s examination, several holes in the skin are found in the basis of ischium. These holes are the outlets of the cyst. Often bloody liquid drains from them, which stains dresses. If abscess (furuncle) is developed, this zone is strongly painful, inflamed and pus may drain from sinus tract.

What is treatment of cyst?

Treatment depends of lesion stage. Mainly it is surgical one.

If there is abscess, it is necessary to open and drain it by emergency to avoid poisoning of blood. Thereafter after complaints subside, planned elimination of cyst is undertaken. In development of pylonidal sinus tract, the treatment is planned operation by which the cyst is completely extirpated.