WHAT IS PILONIDAL DISEASE?

• Pilonidal disease is actually a chronic infection that forms in a pocket under the skin where hair, pus and/or debris collect. This occurs in the lower center of the back between the buttocks, which is called the natal cleft.

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• It usually results from body hair pushing through the skin of the natal cleft creating a small pit. A hair ball then forms in the pit. This usually branches into multiple infected tracts under the skin with multiple openings to the surface.

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• Pilonidal disease is more common in people between the ages of 14 and 26. Abscesses that occur in the midline cleft in children younger than 8 without body hair are extremely unlikely to be secondary to pilonidal disease.

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• Pilonidal disease rarely goes away without treatment. Most require some surgical intervention.

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• The disease can be mild, moderate, severe or recurrent. This depends on several factors including: the extent of the disease along the gluteal cleft, the severity of symptoms, proximity to the anus and whether it is recurrent or not.

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• In general, mild to moderate disease involves a short segment of the cleft, associated with mild to moderate symptoms, is away from the anus and is non recurrent.

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• Severe disease usually involves a long segment of the gluteal cleft, is associated with severe symptoms (ie constant drainage, bleeding, severe pain or frequent flare ups), is close to the anus or is recurrent.

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 To see examples of mild/moderate disease versus severe disease please check our photo gallery.

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