Pilonidal Ovarian Cysts Are A Sign Of Danger.

The pilonidal ovarian cyst gets formed at the end of the tailbone (coccyx). It can turn infectious and, if it does, will get pus filled. At that infected stage, it is no longer called a pilonidal cyst but turns into what is technically referred to as pilonidal abscess. The infected abscess appears like a huge pimple just above the buttock's crack and it tends to form in those who are young and in their 20s and 30s. An interesting point about it is that it tends to affect men rather than women.

What Causes Pilonidal Ovarian Cysts?

There are two schools of thought. One is that they are caused by ingrown hairs and, as a matter of fact, Pilonidal actually means "nest of hair". This is probably because there will always be hair follicles found inside these cysts.

The second theory about the formation of these cysts is that they form due to trauma suffered in the sacrococcygeal area (i.e. the region which relates both to the lower vertebrae and coccyx). An interesting detail relates to the fact that, during World War II, more than 80,000 soldiers were affected with pilonidal cysts and had to be hospitalized for its treatment. It was strongly felt that these cysts formed due to the constant bumps received while riding in jeeps.

Symptoms of Pilonidal Cysts

What are the symptoms which you have to look out for? We give below a few of the more important ones.

-          Redness or pain just above the crack of the buttocks.

-          Swelling at the bottom of the spine.

-          Pus oozing out of the abscess.

-          Fever accompanying any of the above.

Treatment of Pilonidal Cysts

If the cyst has not yet turned infectious, a simple home remedy would be to sit in a warm tub. This could not only decrease the pain but could result in the cyst staying within manageable proportions.

However, if this doesn't produce the desired effect, and you have to call a doctor, these are the procedures he might follow to treat the abscess.

-          The most common treatment for the pilonidal cyst is carried out by draining the cyst after an incision is made.

-          Hair follicles will be removed and the cavity will be packed with gauze. It is a simple procedure which is carried out under anesthesia administered locally.

-          A slightly more complex procedure is the one called Marsupialization. It needs incision and then draining, the removal of hair and pus but instead of the cavity being packed with gauze as in the procedure above, the fibrous tract edges are sewed on to the edges of the wound. This procedure too can be done under anesthesia. 

-          The final option consists of incision and draining and then closing the wound immediately. This is an advantage in that the wound gets completely closed as soon as the surgery is done and there is no need to have gauze. But the disadvantage is that there is a high probability of recurrence as it is extremely hard to eradicate the cyst entirely.

However do remember that ovarian cyst surgeries may come with complications. So always consider this before opting for surgery.