The condition results from a reaction to hairs embedded in the skin, commonly occurring in the cleft between the buttocks. The disease is more common in men than women and frequently occurs between puberty and age 40. It is also common in obese people and those with thick, stiff body hair. Pilonidal disease is a chronic skin infection in the buttock crease area.
Symptoms vary from a small dimple to a large painful mass.
Often the area will drain fluid that may be clear, cloudy or bloody. The infection may also cause fever, malaise, or nausea. There are several common patterns of this disease. After the abscess resolves, either by itself or with medical assistance, many patients develop a pilonidal sinus. The sinus is a cavity below the skin surface that connects to the surface with one or more small openings or tracts.