A review of pilonidal sinus lesions and a method of treatment.

Introduction This paper on pilonidal lesions is presented with the object of reviewing the disease and describing a method of treatment introduced by Jacobsen (1959). A pilonidal sinus is an anomalous condition, in which there may be found a nidus of epithelial and hair cells submerged in the cutaneous tissues of the intergluteal cleft. These elements under certain conditions give rise to symptoms or signs. Their presence is indicated by a number of fine circular pits, which are aligned vertically and are of variable orifice-diameter. They are usually two or thiree in number, although larger numbers have been described. They extend to the caudal end of the anal cleft, superior to the posterior anal verge beyond which they are not seen. They show no tendency to deviate from a strictly midline position. The first clinical report of a pilonidal sinus is reputed to have been in 1847 (Dwight & Maloy, 1953), but Hodge in 1880 is accepted as giving the lesion its name 'pilonidal'.