Pediatric pilonidal disease: a method of management.

Pilonidal disease is a common problem; its many management options are testimony to the difficulty in its eradication. Its etiology is distention of midline skin orifices with ingestion of hair shafts from hirsute buttocks. Thus, the disease does not usually appear until after puberty. Nine children were treated by aspiration and incision and antibiotics, followed by curettage of the pits; they had no recurrence. Two children who had midline procedures had recurrent disease. The female-male ratio in children is 4.5:1.