Umbilical Pilonidal Sinus: A Retrospective Study of Cases who Underwent Surgery in Baqyiatallah Hospital between 1996 and 2003

Umbilical pilonidal sinus is a granulomatous reaction to hair shaft penetrating the epidermis of umbilicus from the external surface. Several affected patients never undergo invasive investigations therefore, in most cases no pathological samples are taken. McClenathan(2000) recommended the clinical diagnosis of this entity. This study presents the cases who were pathologically or clinically diagnosed as umbilical pilonidal sinus and underwent surgery in Baqyiatallah Hospital between 1996 and 2003. Patients & In this retrospective study, umbilical pilonidal sinus was clinically diagnosed with respect to the history of extraction of hair from umbilicus or observation of hair deep in umbilicus during the physical exam or operation. Demographic(age, sex, job, and province), clinical(symptoms and duration) and treatment(anesthesia and duration of hospitalization) data about 56 patients who underwent surgery between 1996 and 2003 were registered. The age of the patients ranged from 12 to 40 with a mean age of 24±4.7 years. The most common symptoms were discharge from umbilicus(96%), pain(51%), and bleeding(44%). Length of stay in the hospital ranged between two and ten days. Clinical diagnosis of umbilical pilonidal sinus may result in determination of real prevalence of this disease.