ABSTRACT
Pilonidal disease, first described in the nineteenth century, is common and, although a minor condition for the majority of patients, can result in pain and sepsis with long periods of time off work and education. The true incidence of pilonidal disease is unknown. In a study from Norway, it was calculated as 0.4% for men and 0.27% for women between the ages of 15 and 29 years. Pilonidal disease affects about 70,000 people in the United States per annum and has a calculated incidence of 26 per 100,000. Pilonidal sinuses in the midline may be incidental. The true incidence of this is unknown, as patients are often not examined for this and there is no long-term follow-up for either symptomatic or asymptomatic disease without treatment. Sometimes an abscess will discharge spontaneously. This most commonly occurs to one or the other side of the midline and results in a lateral discharging sinus.
