Pilonidal Sinus

Pilonidal sinus is a small hole or tunnel in the skin that is infected. It typically forms in the cleft at the top of the buttocks.

It usually contains hair and debris. It can cause severe pain and may ooze pus and blood and have a strong odor.

Cause is Hair that puncture the skin, Like Activities that cause friction, long hours of sitting, can force the hair growing in the area to burrow back under the skin. The body considers this hair foreign and raise an immune response against it. Sometimes a person may have multiple sinuses that connect under the skin.

Treatment is operative. Hair and infected tissue are removed using special instruments and the sinus is cleaned with a special solution. Laser is used to seal the sinus nowadays.

In traditional method, sinus is excised with an large incision around it & cut out on either side of it. The 2 sides are then stitched together. It requires long term dressing (4-6 weeks).