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Role of Lasers in Pilonidal Sinus

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Lasers in Proctology

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Abstract

Pilonidal sinus disease (PSD) is a sacrococcygeal cavity or tract formed by recurrent infection and persistent inflammation [1]. In 1847, A.W. Anderson published a paper on “hair extracted from an ulcer” [2, 3]. Warren later documented three instances in 1854, making the first case series in “Pilonidal sinus disease” [4]. R.M Hodges invented the word “Pilonidal disease” in 1880 [5]. The word is a combination of Pilus and Nidus; Pilus means “hair,” and Nidus means “nest.” In 1883, O.H. Mayo described the condition for the first time [6]. This condition is often called jeep disease, as many U.S soldiers riding jeeps were affected by the pilonidal disease during the wars [2]. Over 79,000 soldiers in the American army had surgery for pilonidal sinus disease. Two thousand soldiers during the Vietnamese war were operated on for pilonidal sinus every year [7].

“All sinuses heal unless something keeps them open.”

Lord and Miller

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  1. Department of Surgery, Karan Hospital, Jalandhar, India

    Kamal Gupta

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Gupta, K. (2022). Role of Lasers in Pilonidal Sinus. In: Lasers in Proctology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-5825-0_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-5825-0_17

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