Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Pilonidal cyst pathophysiology
Introduction
Pathophysiology
Pathophysiology
Doctors are not sure what causes a pilonidal cyst.
Theories
- An old theory is that a small and harmless cyst has always been present at birth, and that for some reason, it has become irritated and formed a painful abscess. Another explanation is that it is an ingrown hair that has formed an abscess. It is very rare to find hair follicles inside the cyst—however,it is very common for drained cysts to contain hair, though this is not thought to be the sole cause of the condition.
- The condition was widespread in United States Army during World War II. More than eighty thousand soldiers having the condition required hospitalization.[1] It was termed “Jeep riders’ disease,” because a large portion of people who were being hospitalized for it rode in jeeps, and it was theorized that prolonged rides in the bumpy vehicles caused the condition.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [2]