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General health

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Original poster

Think DH has a pilonidal cyst/sinus

27 replies

AngryFeet · 04/12/2013 21:50

DH has had a slightly sore area at the top of his bum for about a year. Nothing excessively painful though. Tonight he realised that the damp patch he keeps getting on the back of his pants is actual blood and pus.

I had a look and there are 3 small holes there, one of which is oozing pus slightly. It is red but not swollen. He is pretty hairy around that area and rides a motorbike so probably gets sweaty (sorry TMI) which probably doesn't help.

What should he do? Will it go away or get worse?

OP posts:

bundaberg · 04/12/2013 21:55

he should get it seen if he has had it that long without it healing.

dp had one which turned into a giant abcess which burst and quite frankly the recovery was not nice!
he had surgery on it, but it never properly healed so after a couple of years he had to go back in for more. yuck

anyway, it's all good now. no more pus

def best to get it checked out

ballroomblitz · 04/12/2013 22:00

Ex-dp had it, kept re-occuring so needed surgery on it (twice), as did his brother. More common if you're hairier and tend to spend a lot of time sitting (like taxi drivers etc)

I would say pay a visit to the gp for antibiotics. If it keeps coming back he may need to get it removed. Not so nice as it's a wound that needs to be packed and close over itself.

milkfromthesleepycow · 04/12/2013 22:05

it will probably need removed as likely to get infected properly at some point and turn into an abscess (not pleasant!)
in the meantime keep it as clean as possible and also hair free. professional waxing is best if you can talk him into it! razors can make problem worse.
my DP just had his excised and its a long old recovery process- daily dressings and 1-2month recovery :(
agree best get it seen to

cuppachai · 04/12/2013 22:11

It won't go away on it's own! Doctors + referral asap! I am totally unhairy and unsweaty (!) and I had one when I was 19. It was awful - but had surgery and it never recurred (touch wood). Surgery sounds extreme but it meant no having to go through the whole open wound healing business. Seriously, he needs to go and get it sorted straight away before it gets worse.

Original poster

AngryFeet · 04/12/2013 22:12

Christ. Sounds horrendous. Is there any chance it won't get affected or will they want to remove it just in case. He does a fairly physical job and rides a motorbike to work. 1-2 month recovery would be very difficult for him :(

Thanks for advice. Will tell him to call GP in the morning.

OP posts:

Original poster

AngryFeet · 04/12/2013 22:12

I already told him he should wax the area. He did not look impressed!

OP posts:

bundaberg · 04/12/2013 22:18

given that it hasn't healed in the last year I think it's unlikely to by itself. I'm no medical professional, but I would also think that it might not necessarily get worse because it's open and leaking (rather than enclosed and filling up)

but it really does need seeing to.

DP's recovery was quite long but that's because it was further under (so painful to sit on) and it had also turned into an abcess which then needed packing etc etc

the recovery after his second lot of surgery was far far quicker and that was similar to how your DH's sounds.. just a small "pocket" that wouldn't heal properly. I can't rightly remember what they did to it now

Original poster

AngryFeet · 04/12/2013 22:21

Ok well that sounds more promising. The soreness has been there a year but the pus is fairly recent I think - month or so? The holes are literally pin prick size and I only spotted them tonight but then I don't tend to hang around that area so they could have been there ages

OP posts:

ClaimedByMe · 04/12/2013 22:27

Dp had this first time it burst he got anti biotics and it went away for a few years then it came back with a vengeance and was so painful and he couldn't get a gp appointment so took himself to a&e who told him to come back the next day to get it removed surgically, recovery was about 8 weeks and it needed packed and dressed everyday to start with then every other day.

youarewinning · 04/12/2013 22:30

Get it checked. Holes left that are oozing pus could all be fistulas. I had one years ago and it was not nice. These are tracts from colon/ rectum to skin as opposed to from skin inwards.

bundaberg · 04/12/2013 22:31

claimedbyme, my dp ended up in a&e too, cos his burst

clam · 04/12/2013 22:37

I had a pilonidal sinus once. Not something I want to repeat! Couldn't walk, sit or lie down for a few days, then went to hospital to have it surgically drained. The wound is then too deep to allow it to heal by itself - it has to heal from the base upwards, so they pack the site with gauze (changing it every day or two) for as long as it takes to heal.
The pain was indescribable.
Sorry! Hope his is something that can be sorted with antibiotics.

Original poster

AngryFeet · 04/12/2013 22:42

Hmm isn't it a bit high up for a fistula youarewinning?

OP posts:

Catrin · 04/12/2013 22:53

SOunds like a pilonidal sinus. Exh has it. Had surgery and it took about 4 weeks for him to recover (I had to pack it myself daily as no district nurse person…). It only sorted it temporarily and within 18 months was awful again. Get him to get it seen to asap, it will not improve on its own.

youarewinning · 04/12/2013 22:53

Maybe. But then mine was thought to be a polinidal sinus until I had surgery!

Original poster

AngryFeet · 04/12/2013 22:58

Christ I don't think I can pack it myself. Far too squeamish. Should I LT(poor)B? . So it is a recurring problem then? Do they just keep digging away till there is no arse left? Dh has a lovely arse :(

OP posts:

LamaDrama · 04/12/2013 23:00

at OP not really hanging around that area.

I cried earlier, as I feel lonely, but I think I'm glad Im manless now!

bundaberg · 04/12/2013 23:01

you won't have to pack it if it's as small as you say.. there'll be nothing to pack!

DavidHarewoodsFloozy · 04/12/2013 23:05

My mum had one of these, so your poor dh has my sympathy.

My mum had surgery on hers and like previous posters it was packed everyday, with if i remember right a seaweed based material that ' draws' any remaining gunk as the wound heals.

And not wanting to dramatize, i got her a warm.salt bath ready as per surgeons instructions, undressed her wound, promptly blacked out and split my head on the sink . The wound was huge, did heal well, but please get dh to the Dr.

treaclesoda · 04/12/2013 23:05

I've had this, despite being neither hairy nor male, nor indeed dark haired (which I believe are the usual risk factors). They just cut away whatever needs to go, so in my case I have a vertical scar and a bit of a dent which comes up around an inch or so above the, er, arse crack area, so no skimpy bikinis for me

My DH has had it too, our poor kids have drawn the short straw here if there is a genetic factor...

DavidHarewoodsFloozy · 04/12/2013 23:08

Surgeon told us they have massive. root system.like day of the triffids.

VivaLeBeaver · 04/12/2013 23:12

A friend had one. He had to have surgery for it. Fortnight off work as he couldn't sit down and the district nurse round to repack it lots.

GoingGoingGoth · 04/12/2013 23:15

DH just recovering from his surgery to remove his.
He ignored it for years, and it got really bad this year (swelling the size of a goose egg) Best to get it looked at, he wishes he'd had it done years ago.

MedusaIsHavingaBadHairday · 04/12/2013 23:38

DS2 had one a few months back.. poor boy is 16 with a very hairy ass and because he is autistic he didn't notice it . I happened to be in the bathroom with him one day ..I help wash his hair but don't usually see his backside, and it was a huge swelling :( Ifelt awful at not having seen it before.
He was on quite stong antibiotics but touch wood, it didn't need packing. We have been told it may well reaccur and need to keep an eye on it.

Pack your dh off to the docs!!

BigArea · 04/12/2013 23:52

Sorry OP but your last post made me ROFL! Hope he gets his lovely bottom sorted soon

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