Pilonidal cyst

Diagnosis

The doctor may diagnose a pilonidal cyst by examining the affected skin and asking questions about your symptoms, medical history, and lifestyle habits.

Treatment

Your need for surgery to remove your pilonidal cyst will depend on how severe your symptoms are. In addition to surgery, there are various additional possible treatment options, such as:

• Cyst drainage: This operation can take place right there in the doctor’s office. Your infected cyst will be opened, and fluid will be drained from it, using a small incision (cut).
• Injectable medication: Mild to moderate pilonidal cysts can be treated and prevented using injections of phenol, an acidic chemical molecule.
• Antibiotics: Skin irritation is treatable with antibiotics. Antibiotics, however, are unable to treat pilonidal cysts on their own.
• Laser. Hair that may otherwise develop ingrown and bring back more pilonidal cysts can be removed with laser therapy.

If you have a chronic pilonidal cyst or it has gotten worse and formed a sinus cavity under your skin, it’s a serious case and you may need surgery to excise (remove) the cyst entirely. Afterward, the surgeon might either leave the wound open for packing (inserting gauze) or close the wound with sutures or a skin flap (skin taken from a healthy part of your body).