Factors affecting the success of crystallized phenol treatment in sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus disease

There are 2 mainstays of sacrococcygeal pilonidal disease (SPD) treatment: non-operative and surgical. None of them was superior, and it was associated with some degree of recurrence. Crystallized phenol treatment is a non-operative procedure performed in outpatient settings. This retrospective study aimed to asses crystallized phenol treatment in patients with primary and recurrent SPD and the factors that influence disease recurrence. A total of 92 patients were included and followed up. Crystallized phenol was administered in an outpatient setting under local anesthesia. All demographic, patient, sinus features, procedure and outcome data were recorded and analyzed for treatment success and factors for recurrence were identified. Between January 2019 and December 2021, 92 patients (77 male and 15 female) with a mean age of 28.4 were treated with 1, 2, or 3 doses of crystallized phenol. Recurrence rate after the procedure was 20.7%. Univariate regression analysis showed that the grade of hirsutism, initial presence of abscess, pit number and number of showers per week had statistically significant effect on recurrence. Multivariate logistic regression analysis pointed on the hirsutism grade (P = .008) and the number of pit openings (P = .003) as a statistically significant factors for recurrence. Crystallized phenol application for primary and recurrent SPD is safe, inexpensive and efficient non-operative method with few minor complications, even when is repeated. Factors responsible for the recurrence of the procedure are grade of hirsutism and sinus pit number.