Pilonidal cyst cases surge in students during pandemic

PUNE: Long sitting hours have led to a significant rise of pilonidal sinus disease among students, primarily adolescents, during the Covid-19 pandemic, doctors from Pune, Mumbai and Surat have confirmed.

A pilonidal sinus/cyst is a type of abscess appearing near the top of the buttocks. It occurs when hair is forced into the skin, leading to the infection in the area. Pain over the tailbone, blood or pus discharge and swelling over the tailbone are the common symptoms.

Pune-based colorectal surgeon Ashwin Porwal said, “Almost 56% of the 203 patients that we treated during the pandemic (from April 2020 to September 2021) were students. This indicates a sharp rise in the incidence of pilonidal sinus among students, mainly adolescents and those pursuing higher education, in the last 18 months.”

The ideal treatment for a pilonidal sinus varies according to the clinical presentation of the disease. “For acute pilonidal abscess, we focus more on conservative management, while surgical management is required in chronic and complex or recurring disease,” Porwal said.

Surat-based proctologist Gaurang Desai said, “We are seeing a rising trend of pilonidal sinus cases in last one year. It can be attributed to work from home or online teaching that adds to the screen time.”

“Recently, I operated few students with recurrent disease,” said senior surgeon Girish Hatalkar who practices in South Mumbai.