Pilonidal Cyst (cont.)
How is a pilonidal cyst diagnosed?
A pilonidal cyst can be diagnosed by your
physician based on your symptoms and the findings on your physical exam. No
blood work or imaging studies are usually necessary.
What is the treatment for a pilonidal cyst?
An infected pilonidal cyst is an
abscess that requires incision and drainage. Often, this procedure can be
performed in a physician's office or in an emergency department with local
anesthesia. After numbing the area with an injection of a local anesthetic, an
incision with a scalpel is made over the infected area. The physician will then
drain the pus and remove hair and any other debris from the wound. The wound is
then packed with gauze and allowed to heal. Antibiotics are not necessary unless
your physician feels that you have a spreading skin infection (cellulitis). For
those individuals with recurrent or complicated pilonidal cysts, more invasive
surgery may be necessary. Several different surgical techniques may be used in
this case, and your surgeon will discuss the various options with you. In
general, the major difference in surgical techniques involves either leaving the
surgical wound open after surgery and allowing it to heal (requiring a longer
healing time but having a lower recurrence rate) versus closing the surgical
wound during surgery (with a shorter healing time but higher recurrence rate).
Another surgical technique involves suturing the skin edges of the wound and
allowing the open wound to slowly heal (marsupialization). Proper wound care and
follow-up with a surgeon should be arranged after either of the above
procedures. Keep the wound clean and remove any hair from around the site to
prevent recurrence.
What are the complications of a pilonidal cyst?
The complications of a pilonidal cyst may include the following:
- abscess formation,
- recurrence of the pilonidal cyst,
- systemic infection (infection that spreads throughout the
body), or
- squamous cell carcinoma (the development of a form of skin cancer
within the cyst).
Next: How are pilonidal cysts prevented? »
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