ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Chirurgia 2013 August;26(4):295-8

Copyright © 2013 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English, Italian

The pilonidal sinus: our approach and a retrospective study on 140 patients

Quarto G., Bucci L., Solimeno G., Furino E., Benassai G. L., Sivero L., Benassai G.

Department of General, Geriatric, Oncological Surgery and Advanced Technologies, “Federico II” University of Naples, Naples, Italy

Aim: In this paper we wanted to establish if there is a gold standard in the surgical treatment of Pilonidal Sinus.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective study on a continuous series of 140 patients, treated for pilonidal sinus. We have divided the observed patients in two groups according to the different kind of closure: GROUP A (79 pts.): treated with excision and healing by second intention; Group B (61 pts.): treated with excision and closure by first intention using a personal tension-free synthesis technique.
Results: In group A patients, the healing has been achieved in an average period of 41.2 days. In 56 patients of group B, healing has been achieved in an average period of 13.1 days, without dehiscence or suppuration, with a resumption of work, in all patients, within 48 to 72 hours. We noticed a 2 years recurrence rate of 2.5% in group A and 5.3% in group B.
The statistical analysis showed that in group B was obtained a statistically significant healing time reduction but the difference in recurrence rates at 2 years (Group B > Group A) was not statistically significant.
Conclusion: Still, there is not a surgical procedure identifiable as the gold standard.