A Member of the University of Maryland Medical System | In Partnership with the University of Maryland School of Medicine
Pilonidal abscess; Pilonidal sinus; Pilonidal cyst
Pilonidal disease is a condition that can occur anywhere along the crease between the buttocks, which runs from the bone at the bottom of the spine (sacrum) to the anus.
Pilonidal disease may appear as:
Symptoms may include:
The cause of pilonidal disease is not clear. It is thought to be caused by hair growing into the skin in the crease between the buttocks.
This problem is more likely to occur in people who:
Klein MD, Thomas RP. Surgical conditions of the anus, rectum, and colon. In: Kliegman RM, Behrman RE, Jenson HB, Stanton BF, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 341.
Nelson H, Cima RR. Anus. In: Townsend CM Jr, Beauchamp RD, Evers BM, Mattox KL, eds. Sabiston Textbook of Surgery. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 51.
Humphries AF, Duncan JE. Evaluation and management of pilonidal disease. Surg Clin North Am. 2010;90:113-124.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).
© 2011 University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC). All rights reserved.
UMMC is a member of the University of Maryland Medical System,
22 S. Greene Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. TDD: 1-800-735-2258 or 1.866.408.6885