Treatment of complicated or infected pilonidal sinus disease by local application of phenol

This article reports on the results of conservative treatment of 48 patients with complicated pilonidal sinus disease. The treatment consisted of an injection of phenol 80% into the sinus tract after the patients had undergone depilation and excavation while under local anesthesia. The number of phenol injections in each patient varied from one to nine (mean: two injections). Patients were considered cured if no signs of recurrent pilonidal sinus disease occurred within 1 year after treatment. The mean follow-up period after cure was 3 years (range: 1 to 6 years). The recurrence rate was 6.3% (a 95% confidence interval of 1.3% to 17.2%), which was one of the lowest reported for different methods of treatment for pilonidal sinus disease. The good results in this study justify continuation of conservative treatment of pilonidal sinus disease, especially in view of the low costs and the high degree of patient comfort. Sclerosing therapy with phenol is thus recommended as a successful treatment for complicated pilonidal sinus disease.