Prevalence of sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus as a silent disease.

PURPOSE: The aim of this research was to determine the prevalence of sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus disease (SPSD) based on clinical examination and histopathological evaluation.

METHODS: Between January 1, 2010 and December 30, 2010, 432 corpses were evaluated in the Istanbul Central Office of Forensic Medicine Institute of the Turkish Ministry of Health.

RESULTS: 41 of the 432 cases (9.4 %) had SPSD-related findings. 20 (4.6 %) had at least one sinus tract (clinical SPSD) and all of them had at least three positive histopathologic parameters. 16 of 41 cases (3.7 %) were clinically normal but had at least three positive histopathologic parameters (silent SPSD).

CONCLUSION: Prevalence of SPSD with clinical examination is 4.6 %. These data are according to the literature. But with inclusion of the silent cases, the prevalence rate increases to 8.3 %. We conclude that inflammatory process does not result in SPSD in nearly half of the cases.