Pilonidal Cyst

[Blockhead]

If you're squeamish or easily grossed out, don't bother looking it up. It's a cyst near the tailbone. Was known as "Jeep riders disease" during the wars due its prevalency and the belief that the excessive amounts of sitting in a jeep and bumpiness caused the cyst.

I'm pretty sure I have it, and it flares up about once a year. Very painful to sit while it's enlarged, but usually goes away on its own. I've been looking up treatment options, and it seems surgery is fairly common, followed by a lot of extremely painful surgical dressing packing for weeks/months after the operation (which can require general anesthesia).

Has anyone ever had this, or know someone who has? I'm worried about doing the sugery because of the long time it takes to fully heal, so I may talk to my doc about other options, or just not go at all.

[Vorian Atreides]

Sounds a lot like what my dad had been treated for . . . but it turned out to be Crohn's disease. It took almost a full year to get the final diagnosis (and he's doing way better with the proper treatment). But until then, he seemed to get those cysts in the part where you're describing.

If your doctor has not definitely ruled out Crohn's, you might want to ask about it . . . if it is Crohn's, the sooner it's diagnosed and treatment started, the better.

[keyser soze]

If it is a cyst, can you just get it aspirated?

[Gary Wright]

If you have one of these, you're ready to go:

[Phaedrus]

My wife had one while pregnant. She had it lanced and packed with just a local (lidocaine) because she didn't want to take anything that might affect the baby. It sucked, but it was quick. They did it in the ER in about 2 minutes. Then she went back to have the packing removed and have it stitched a few weeks later (IIRC). They told her there was like a 20% chance it would recur within a year, but it hasn't, and it has been about 6 years now.

[Firkin]

Had this exact surgery about 35 years ago, and it's pretty much as you describe. General anaesthesia, surgical packing, followed by an uncomfortable recovery. You learn a new appreciation for the "doughnut", and not the kind made of flour and sugar.

They also said there was a significant probability of recurrence, although so far so good.

Worth it? Hard to say - depends on the degree of discomfort you feel and the frequency with which it happens. You might also want to see if the surgery/recovery severity might be lessened if you have it operated on during a "non-flareup" time.

[Loner]

Originally Posted by keyser soze

If it is a cyst, can you just get it aspirated?

The problem is due to the location it's a challenge to keep it from getting infected.

[trondogss]

I knew a guy in college that had the surgery. He carried the doughnut with him everywhere. He hobbled around for about a week, and appeared normal not long after.

[Speed Bump]

I had emergency surgery for one of these years ago. It ruptured.
Hindsight being 20/20, I should have seen a doctor when I first noticed symptoms. I'd see a doctor asap.

My ex had this - had minor surgery twice (i.e., outpatient), and it was really no big deal...recovery wasn't that bad, pretty much all homecare and it was all over within a week or two. (Now as the wife who had to change the dressing, I didn't LOVE it, but at least he wasn't in pain anymore.)

I think his cysts were in a spot that caused him a great deal of pain right away when it was still small, so he got himself to the doc and got it taken care of when it was still small and not a bit deal...

...in contrast to my CURRENT husband, who also had this problem. But in his case, either it didn't really hurt that much to get him to the doc, or he was just stupidly stubborn, he didn't get it looked at right away and it grew so that it got so intertwined with stuff aroudn his spine that he actually needed to have a spinal block and inpatient surgery to have it taken care of...

...so, I'd get it looked at ASAP. Could just be a quick fix, but if you let it go too long it could mean a hospitalization to have it taken care of.f