Ultrasonography: Is It Powerful Modality for Diagnosis of Simple and Challenging Cases of Pilonidal Disease?

Background: Pilonidal disease is one of the most prevalent surgical problems among young patients. Despite easy diagnosis of most cases by physical examination, there remain some patients with suspicious diagnoses. Objectives: There is an obvious lack of standardized imaging tools for diagnosis of pilonidal disease, therefore, we investigated the diagnostic value of ultrasonography. Patients and Methods: This diagnostic study was performed on a group of patients with confirmed pilonidal sinus and a control group without any sign of the disease. The number of subcutaneous tracts, size of cavities, and presence of hair were detected by superficial probe ultrasonography. Results: The sensitivity and specificity of ultrasonography in detecting pilonidal disease was 96% and 100%, respectively. Ultrasonography detected sinus tracts in 72%, cavities in 96% and hair in 68% of involved patients. Conclusion: Based on the excellent diagnostic performance of ultrasonography for pilonidal disease, we recommend this imaging tool in patients with suspicious diagnosis and unconfirmed recurrence of pilonidal disease.