Publications (2)4.77 Total impact
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Article: Surgery for asymptomatic pilonidal sinus disease.
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ABSTRACT: Asymptomatic pilonidal sinus disease (PSD) discovered incidentally is regarded as a precursor of symptomatic disease, which is characterized by intradermal hair eliciting an inflammatory reaction. We aimed to investigate whether asymptomatic PSD already shows inflammation, though clinically inapparent, or represents a 'virgin' sinus. One thousand seven hundred and thirty-one medical records of patients presenting with primary PSD, which underwent surgery, were analysed to identify patients with surgically resected incidental PSD. Acute purulent pilonidal disease was seen in 514 of 1,731, whereas chronic fistulating pilonidal disease was the most common diagnosis group with 1,019 of 1,731 (58.9%). One hundred and forty-three of 1,731 (8.3%) patients had a previous chronic remitting pilonidal sinus. A total of 55 (3.2%) patients with clinically asymptomatic PSD were identified. Histological workup documented hair in 64.6% (1,119/1,731), with comparable rates between 68% and 71% in chronic fistulating disease, chronic remitting disease and incidental PSD (p = 0.80). Inflammation was found in 53 of 55 (96.4%) incidental PSD specimens, with two thirds (37 of 55) showing chronic inflammatory changes and one third (16 of 55) combining acute and chronic inflammation. Our findings support the idea that incidental PSD is a sub-clinically inflamed pilonidal sinus, with hair and chronic infection present. However, the data suggest that a prophylactic surgery for asymptomatic PSD provides no benefit for the patient compared to surgery in chronic PSD; thus, observational treatment is most likely sufficient for asymptomatic PSD.International Journal of Colorectal Disease 06/2008; 23(9):839-44. · 2.38 Impact Factor -
Article: Methylene Blue halves the long-term recurrence rate in acute pilonidal sinus disease.
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ABSTRACT: To study the potential benefits of intraoperative methylene blue (MB) use in pilonidal sinus surgery, the correlation between long-term recurrence rate and intraoperative MB use in pilonidal sinus surgery was investigated. Explicit investigations of MB effects in sinus surgery are scarce and inconclusive; an effect on long-term recurrence rate has never been systematically investigated. A random selection of 247 patients out of 1,960 patients with primary sinus surgery was drawn, and the patients were subjected to a telephone interview according to a specific questionnaire. The interview covered a recurrence follow-up time of 14.9 years after surgery (mean, standard deviation=3.8 years, range 8.6-25.4 years). Recurrence was less likely to occur when MB was used intraoperatively (32 of 197, [16% actuarial 20-year recurrence rate, Kaplan-Meier estimate] recurrences with MB vs 15 of 50, 30% [actuarial 20-year recurrence rate, Kaplan-Meier estimate] recurrences without MB; p=0.018; log-rank test). This effect was especially pronounced in acute abscess-forming disease (8 of 46, 17% [actuarial 20-year recurrence rate, Kaplan-Meier estimate] recurrences with MB; 11 of 33, 33% [actuarial 20-year recurrence rate, Kaplan-Meier estimate] recurrences without MB; p=0.078; log-rank test) compared to chronic disease (24 of 151, 16% [actuarial 20-year recurrence rate, Kaplan-Meier estimate]) recurrences with MB; 4 of 17, 24% [actuarial 20-year recurrence rate, Kaplan-Meier estimate] recurrences without MB; p=0.35; log-rank test). MB application halves the long-term risk of recurrence for pilonidal sinus patients. This significant reduction in recurrence rate can be achieved by a single careful injection of non toxic inexpensive dye into the sinus at the start of the operation. MB application should therefore be considered as an integral part of pilonidal sinus surgery.International Journal of Colorectal Disease 03/2008; 23(2):181-7. · 2.38 Impact Factor
