Long-term outcomes of crystallized phenol application for the treatment of pilonidal sinus disease

Abstract

Objective

This study aimed to better demonstrate the long-term outcomes and effectiveness of crystallized phenol treatment (CPT) by presenting our 20 years experience.

Methods

One thousand and twenty-six patients who have primer pilonidal sinus were enrolled. The operation was applied outpatient clinic under local anesthesia. Recurrence rate, application number, healing time, and factors affecting them were analyzed.

Results

The success rate was 84.3%. The mean number of CPT applications was 2.1 and the mean recovery time was 8.9 weeks. The rate of recurrence was higher in patients with a long disease duration prior to initiating treatment (p = .04). The rate of recurrence was higher in patients with a higher number of opening and CPT application, those with longer application time, and those with a positive family history (respectively p = .01, p = .002, p = .008).

Conclusions

Long-term outcomes are also very successful in the treatment of pilonidal disease with CPT. We believe that CPT should be the first choice in the treatment of pilonidal disease because it is inexpensive, can be applied as an outpatient treatment, is a noninvasive procedure, has results comparable to surgical procedures, and does not cause loss of work and strength.

Keywords:

• Pilonidal disease
• nonoperative treatment
• crystallized phenol
• long term

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Süleyman Said Kokcam for his contributions.

Ethical approval

The research was conducted ethically in accordance with the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki. Ethics committee approval was not required as the study was conducted through retrospectively file scanning.

Author contributions

Conception, design and writing of the work; Dogru O, Kargin S, the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation Kargin S, Ates D, Nazik EE, Kerimoglu RS; Drafting or revising: Turan E, Kerimoglu RS, Dogru O; final approval: Ates D, Nazik EE.

Disclosure statement

All authors declare no conflict of interest and financial relationships.