Standardized Classification System for Pilonidal Disease and Recurrence Rate after Treatment

Area of Science:

• Surgical Oncology
• Clinical Research
• Medical Device Development

Background:

• Current pilonidal disease classification lacks objective severity profiling, hindering clinical utility.
• A novel pilonidal disease severity (PDS) staging system was developed to address this limitation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate the novel PDS staging system.
• To assess the correlation between PDS stage and pilonidal disease recurrence.

Main Methods:

• Prospective cohort study at a specialized pilonidal care center.
• Included 411 patients with pilonidal disease.
• Assessed PDS stage at presentation and recurrence at 1- and 2-year follow-up.

Main Results:

• PDS staging demonstrated a significant correlation with recurrence at both 1-year (p=0.017) and 2-year (p=0.010) follow-up.
• Recurrence rates increased with higher PDS stages (Stage 0: 0.0%, Stage 3: 20.8% at 1 year).
• Open wound or prior surgery did not significantly impact recurrence risk.

Conclusions:

• The PDS staging system is the first to correlate with pilonidal disease recurrence risk.
• External validation could lead to clinical use for tailoring treatments and research standardization.