Pilonidal Cyst and Sinus Workup

  • Author: Michael D Lanigan, MD; Chief Editor: Pamela L Dyne, MD   more...
 
Updated: Apr 16, 2012
 

Laboratory Studies

No specific laboratory studies or tests are needed to diagnose pilonidal disease and its sequelae or differentiate it from other disease entities; it is a clinical diagnosis best elicited by history and physical examination findings.

 
 
Contributor Information and Disclosures
Author

Michael D Lanigan, MD  Attending Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, Administrative Section, State University of New York Downstate, Brooklyn

Michael D Lanigan, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Specialty Editor Board

Jerry Balentine, DO  Professor of Emergency Medicine, New York College of Osteopathic Medicine; Executive Vice President, Chief Medical Officer, Attending Physician in Department of Emergency Medicine, St Barnabas Hospital

Jerry Balentine, DO is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians, American College of Physician Executives, American Osteopathic Association, and New York Academy of Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD  Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Editor-in-Chief, Medscape Drug Reference

Disclosure: Medscape Salary Employment

Jeter (Jay) Pritchard Taylor III, MD  Compliance Officer, Attending Physician, Emergency Medicine Residency, Department of Emergency Medicine, Palmetto Health Richland, University of South Carolina School of Medicine; Medical Director, Department of Emergency Medicine, Palmetto Health Baptist

Jeter (Jay) Pritchard Taylor III, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Association, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

John D Halamka, MD, MS  Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Chief Information Officer, CareGroup Healthcare System and Harvard Medical School; Attending Physician, Division of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

John D Halamka, MD, MS is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Informatics Association, Phi Beta Kappa, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Pamela L Dyne, MD  Professor of Clinical Medicine/Emergency Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine; Attending Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, Olive View-UCLA Medical Center

Pamela L Dyne, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Additional Contributors

The authors and editors of eMedicine gratefully acknowledge the contributions of previous authors, Robert Ringelheim, MD, Mark A Silverberg, MD, and Norma Jean Johnson-Villanueva, MD, to the development and writing of this article.

References
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  2. da Silva JH. Pilonidal cyst: cause and treatment. Dis Colon Rectum. Aug 2000;43(8):1146-56. [Medline].

  3. Miller D, Harding K. Pilonidal Sinus Disease. Dec 2003. World Wide Wounds. Available at http://www.worldwidewounds.com/2003/december/Miller/Pilonidal-Sinus.html.

  4. Ghnnam WM, Hafez DM. Laser hair removal as adjunct to surgery for pilonidal sinus: our initial experience. J Cutan Aesthet Surg. Sep 2011;4(3):192-5. [Medline]. [Full Text].

  5. Caestecker J, Mann BD, Castellanos AE, Straus J. Pilonidal Disease. eMedicine from WebMD. Last updated Jan 22, 2009. [Full Text].

  6. Burnstein M. Managing anorectal emergencies. Can Fam Physician. Aug 1993;39:1782-5. [Medline].

  7. von Laffert M, Stadie V, Ulrich J, Marsch WC, Wohlrab J. Morphology of pilonidal sinus disease: some evidence of its being a unilocalized type of hidradenitis suppurativa. Dermatology. 2011;223(4):349-55. [Medline].

  8. Feigen GM, Gordon RB. Pilonidal disease simulating rectal abscess and fistula. AMA Arch Surg. Aug 1956;73(2):258-60. [Medline].

  9. Hoffman NN, Hoffman GH, Firoozmand E, Capiendo LM. Pilonidal Disease: Subtle, Not So Subtle and Stubborn. Los Angeles Colon and Rectal Surgical Associates. Available at https://www.lacolon.com/documents/Pilonidal%20Disease.pdf.

  10. Doll D, Friederichs J, Boulesteix AL, Dusel W, Fend F, Petersen S. Surgery for asymptomatic pilonidal sinus disease. Int J Colorectal Dis. Sep 2008;23(9):839-44. [Medline].

  11. McCallum I, King PM, Bruce J. Healing by primary versus secondary intention after surgical treatment for pilonidal sinus. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. Oct 17 2007;CD006213. [Medline].

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