Pilonidal Disease GlossaryShomaf Nakhjo, DO Advanced Minimally Invasive Surgery

Cleft-Lift: cleft means valley, so this means to “lift” the natal cleft (valley) and flatten it. Simultaneously, scarred or pitted midline skin is shifted off the midline and to the side.

Drain: a clear tube buried under the skin during a pilonidal cleft lift operation to drain any accumulating fluid. This will help ensure the pilonidal wound heals well and more quickly.

Excision: removal of diseased tissue.

Incision and Drainage: cutting open a pilonidal abscess and draining pus after a pilonidal cyst becomes infected. It is done in the office most of the time under local anesthesia.

Midline Pore: enlarged skin pores in the gluteal crease, also called pits. These are usually the beginnings of the progression of pilonidal disease.

Natal Crease (Cleft): middle fold between the buttocks. Often called gluteal cleft (crease).

Packing: gauze that is used to help keep a wound draining after a pilonidal abscess is drained.

Pilonidal Abscess: a painful, red, swollen pilonidal cyst with or without draining pus or blood.

Pilonidal Cyst: skin abnormality characterized by the presence of a pocket located under the skin, commonly found near the midline or the gluteal crease. This condition may cause discomfort or pain, may become infected, or may lead to the formation of tunnels into the surrounding tissue.

<Pilonidal Disease: open wounds, pits, cysts, and sinuses related to the gluteal cleft.

Pilonidal Sinus: when hair follicles shedding from the body become embedded in a midline pore, it can lead to a lump, known as a pilonidal cyst, or a tunnel, known as a pilonidal sinus. This may create a secondary opening elsewhere, leading to further complications.