Endoscopic Treatment of Pilonidal Sinus Disease: State of Art and Review of the Literature

Background: Pilonidal sinus disease (PSD) is a chronic troublesome pathology of the natal cleft of the sacrococcygeal region, with an estimated incidence of 26 cases in every 100,000 inhabitants. The aim of this review is to give a snapshot of the current literature on the endoscopic approach to PSD.Methods: A search on endoscopic treatment of pilonidal disease was performed according to PRISMA guidelines, adopting the following search terms: (pilonidal OR sacrococcygeal) and (endoscopic OR VAAPS OR EPSiT OR minimally invasive OR video-assisted OR video assisted).Results: Thirty-four articles were included in the final analysis, among which 23 were on adults and 11 were on pediatric population. The endoscopic approach is associated with painless postoperative pain, good aesthetic results, short time off work, and high patient satisfaction.Despite these advantages in short-term outcomes, results on recurrence rate in a long-term follow up are needed to definitively confirm the importance of this technique.Conclusions: The endoscopic approach is associated with significant postoperative advantages over other standard surgical approaches, and it should be included in the surgical portfolio for the treatment of PSD. According to the Italian guidelines, this technique could be considered as the gold standard for limited PSD. However, the favorable short-term-outcomes and lack of reliable data on long-term follow-up must be a stimulus to perform further high-quality studies to give definitive conclusions on this technique.

Minimally Invasive Pilonidal Sinus Treatment: A Brief Review

With a prevalence of 26/100,000, pilonidal sinus disease is a frequent natal cleft condition that primarily affects young males. The disease site is often uncomfortable and the disease can result in problems such as abscess formation and recurrent acute or chronic infections. Minimally invasive treatment aims to form a small elliptical wedge of subcutaneous tissue containing all the inflammatory tissue. The sinus and its lateral tracks are removed while keeping the overlying skin intact. Following the notion of “less is more,” novel least invasive treatments such as sinotomy, sinusectomy, trephining, and video-assisted and endoscopic pilonidal sinus surgery have recently been proposed. We look at minimally invasive treatments to explain how research into modern techniques has revealed a low rate of short-term problems.

Not So Uncommon Cause of Foot Pain: Cutaneous Hair Splinter of the Sole

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> A fragment of hair penetrating the skin has been referred to as cutaneous pili migrans in the literature. The condition is regarded rare and the cause unknown. <b><i>Case Presentation:</i></b> A 55-year-old female experienced painful sensations of the sole. Dermoscopy revealed hair fragments penetrating the skin, and histopathology a hair shaft embedded in the stratum corneum. The hairs were mechanically extracted with immediate relief from the pain. <b><i>Discussion and Conclusion:</i></b> Hair splinters of the sole may be a cause of foot pain related to the skin. The hair splinter is yet another form of hair that has embedded itself in the skin. Patients may believe the hair is growing out of the feet, while the soles are among the specialized skin regions that are hairless. The origin of the hair is exogenous and related to an exposure to freshly cut human or animal hair. Cutaneous embedded hairs can be classified based on the clinical presentation, the location, and association with hair follicles into hair splinters, interdigital pilonidal sinus, migrating hair, or ingrown hair. The condition is an important cause of foot pain and should be considered on clinical examination of the skin of the soles.

Limberg flap as a Primary Treatment for Pilonidal Sinus at Nepal Mediciti Hospital: A Single Unit Experience

INTRODUCTION: Pilonidal Sinus is a common condition with estimated incidence of 260 per million population with more male predilection and is often seen in sacrococcygeal area but has also been described in other areas with hair. The Limberg rhomboid flap was designed by Limberg in 1946 for the closure of a sixty degree rhombus shaped defect with a transposition flap. We would like to share our single unit experience of Rhomboid Limberg flap for Pilonidal sinus in our hospital. METHODS: This is an ongoing prospective descriptive study in the Department of General Surgery and Digestive Diseases of Nepal Mediciti Hospital from October 2018. The demographic of the patients, presenting symptoms, duration of symptoms and previous interventions are recorded and the Rhomboid Limberg flap surgery is done under regional or general anesthesia in prone position. The patient is given intravenous antibiotic and is instructed to sleep laterally or in prone position for 24 hours. The dressing is removed and the wound is inspected for flap status in the next morning. The patient is discharged on 1st post-operative day on oral antibiotics for 7 days and is followed on 7th post-operative day for removal of suction drain and alternate sutures in the skin and remaining sutures are removed on 10th post-operative day. RESULTS: We have done 28 cases of Limberg flap for Pilonidal Sinus from October 2018 to December 2020 of which 24 were male patients. None of our patients had flap necrosis. One patient presented with accidental removal of suction drain on 5th postoperative day, however he didn’t develop any wound related complication. One patient had superficial wound dehiscence on 10th post-operative day which healed on its own with dressing. One patient developed seroma from 5th postoperative and was managed with dressing and antibiotics and it healed in 2 weeks. None of our patients have developed recurrence and their wounds have healed satisfactorily with minimal scarring and pain. All the patients were able to resume their regular activities within 21 days. All except 2 patients were satisfied with cosmetic outcome. CONCLUSION: The Limberg flap is ideal treatment for pilonidal sinus with minimal postoperative pain, short hospital stay, few complications, rapid return to normal activities, good cosmesis, and a low recurrence rate with short learning curve for young surgeons. Hence, Limberg flap should be routinely used as primary treatment for pilonidal sinus.

Compare outcome of simple excision with primary closure vs rhomboid excision with limberg flap for pilonidal sinus

Background: Sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus is a common condition usually affecting young-to-middle-aged men. For managing sacrococcygeal pilonidal illness, a variety of lateralizing surgical flap procedures based on this principle have been published, including the Karydakis flap, Limberg flap, modified Limberg flap, Z-plasty, and Y-V advancement flap. Aim: To compare the outcome of simple excision with primary closure versus rhomboid excision with limberg flap for sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus. Methodology: Randomized control study conducted in Surgery Department, Ghurki Trust Hospital, Lahore. 90 patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria were selected from wards and were randomly divided in two equal groups. In group A, patients underwent rhomboid excision with limberg flap. In group B, patients underwent simple excision with primary closure. The operation was performed under spinal anesthesia. After surgery, patients were evaluated every 24 hours if they are able to move on their own then they were discharged and hospital stay was noted. Then after 10 days, patients will be called in OPD for assessment of wound healing. If wound did heal and patient complained of pain (VAS>4) and cannot sit and have fever (temp>100oF) Results: The average age in group A was 44.37±15.42 years while that in group B was 45.24±14.50 years. In group A there were 23(51.1%) males and 22 (48.9%) females whereas in group B there were 25(55.6%) males and 20(44.4%) females. There was difference significant in the mean stay in hospital in both groups (p-value=0.002). Conclusion: The conclusion of the study, that primary sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus disease and rhomboid excision with Limberg's flap is an effective treatment. Keywords: Simple Excision with Primary Closure, Rhomboid Excision, Limberg Flap, Sacrococcygeal Pilonidal Sinus