FOCUS ON – Guidelines SICCR – Pilonidal Disease

The treatment of pilonidal disease: guidelines of the Italian Society of Colorectal Surgery (SICCR) (Commented by Antonio Amato)

Segre D, Pozzo M, Perinotti R, Roche B.
Tech Coloproctol. 2015 Oct;19(10):607-13. doi: 10.1007/s10151-015-1369-3. Epub 2015 Sep 16.

Pilonidal disease is a common condition that mainly affects the young males with not negligible socio-economic implications. Although it is a chronic skin infection rather than a true anorectal disease, proctologists  frequently have to deal with this pathology. Despite the apparent low technically-demanding surgical treatment, the optimal management has not yet been defined and no clear benefit has been demonstrated for open versus closed techniques. These SICCR guidelines very clearly analyze the evidences available in the literature, a limited number of key-points that should drive the choice of the best tailored treatment. Due to the lack of a therapeutic gold standard, the surgeon’s experience and confidence with the different techniques still play a role in the decision-making process. (Antonio Amato)