Cant sit, stand, or bend over without feeling pain?
Do you feel a lump or bump near your tailbone (coccyx)?
If so, you might have a pilonidal cyst.
A pilonidal cyst forms when loose hairs get trapped under the skin above the tailbone. It can result in pus accumulation, pain, and skin irritation.
(1)
Pronounced pie-low-NYE-dull, the word means nest of hairs.
If the cyst becomes infected, the abscess that results can be very painful.
This is an opening that grows under the skin from the hair follicle.
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Some believe ingrown hairs (loose hairs that reenter the skin) are triggers.
(4)
This chain of events explains pilonidal cysts that affect body parts other than the tailbone area.
The follicle is the structure from which a hair grows out.
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Some experts believe pilonidal cysts occur after trauma to that body area.
Many World War II soldiers, for example, had pilonidal cysts.
Experts blamed those cysts on the chronic irritation that occurred when the soldiers rode in jeeps over bumpy terrain.
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The condition was even known as jeep disease for a time.
Some factors may increase the risk of getting a pilonidal cyst.
Among them: (5)
Sometimes, pilonidal cysts are hereditary.
Rough body hair and ingrown hairs may run in your family, increasing your risk of developing a cyst.
(5)
How Is Pilonidal Cyst Diagnosed?
Doctors can often diagnose a pilonidal cyst by looking at the skin.
A pilonidal cyst can appear as a small pimple or an oozing cyst.
But the condition in itself isnt life-threatening, and the outlook is positive with treatment.
(8) In those cases, seek treatment to avoid worsening of symptoms.
But even after treatment, it can take one to two months for the wound to heal.
Sometimes, it takes longer up to six months.
(4) The following are some possible treatment methods.
Your doctor will numb the area with an injection and then make a small incision, draining the cyst.
This is commonly known as an I&D (incision and drainage).
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Medications
In addition, you may receiveantibioticsso that the infection doesnt spread.
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Surgery
Sometimes, surgery is needed to remove the cyst entirely.
This procedure is called a pilonidal cystectomy.
The doctor will also likely monitor you for healing and any signs of infection with follow-up visits.
Some people also develop a chronic condition, where cysts recur even after surgical treatment.
(15)
Additionally, these cysts increase the risk of systemic infection and squamous cell carcinoma.
(1,8)
Research and Statistics: Who Has Pilonidal Cysts and How Prevalent Are These Cysts?
Pilonidal cysts are common, with more than 70,000 cases reported in the United States each year.
Anyone can develop this condition, but its more common in young men, says Harth.
It typically occurs between ages 20 and 35.
Medical treatments include draining the cyst, antibiotics, and surgical removal.
To keep the cysts from returning, experts advise keeping the area clean and removing body hair.
