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Treatments

Pilonidal Sinus

A pilonidal sinus (PNS) is a small cyst or abscess that occurs in the cleft at the top of the buttocks. It can cause severe pain and often becomes infected. If it becomes infected, it may exude pus and blood and emit a foul smell. A pilonidal sinus is a condition that mostly affects men and is common in young adults. A pilonidal sinus (PNS) is a small cyst or abscess that occurs in the cleft at the top of the buttocks. It can cause severe pain and often becomes infected. If it becomes infected, it may exude pus and blood and emit a foul smell. A pilonidal sinus is a condition that mostly affects men and is common in young adults.

 

What Are the Causes of Pilonidal Sinus Disease ?

Though the exact origin of the disease is not known, its cause is believed to be a combination of:

  • changing hormones (because it occurs after puberty)
  • hair growth.
  • friction (from clothes or from spending a long time in a sitting position)
  • infection (Miller 2003)

Identifying a Pilonidal Sinus and Recognizing Signs of Infection

You may not have any noticeable symptoms at first other than a small, dimple-like depression on the surface of your skin. However, once the depression becomes infected, it will quickly develop into a cyst (closed sac filled with fluid) or an abscess (swollen and inflamed tissue where pus collects).

  • pain when sitting or standing
  • swelling of the cyst
  • reddened, sore skin around the area
  • pus or blood draining from the abscess, causing a foul smell
  • hair protruding from the lesion
  • formation of more than one sinus tract