What are the symptoms of a pilonidal cyst? What causes pilonidal cysts? How are pilonidal cysts diagnosed? What are the different treatment options for pilonidal cysts?

Pilonidal Cysts: An Overview

A pilonidal cyst is a type of cyst that develops at the bottom of the spine, near the tailbone or coccyx. It is a pouch or sac-like structure that can become infected and filled with pus, leading to a pilonidal abscess. Pilonidal cysts are more common in men than women and typically affect younger individuals.

Causes of Pilonidal Cysts

The exact cause of pilonidal cysts is not fully understood, but several factors are believed to contribute to their development:

• Ingrown hairs: One of the most common theories is that pilonidal cysts form due to the presence of ingrown hairs in the affected area.
• Trauma: Some experts believe that a trauma or injury to the tailbone region can lead to the development of a pilonidal cyst.
• Congenital factors: Individuals born with a small dimple or opening in the skin between their buttocks may be more prone to developing pilonidal cysts.
• Lifestyle factors: Prolonged sitting, obesity, and excessive sweating have been associated with an increased risk of pilonidal cysts.

Symptoms of Pilonidal Cysts

The primary symptoms of a pilonidal cyst include:

• Pain, redness, and swelling at the bottom of the spine
• Drainage of pus or blood from the affected area
• Foul odor from the drainage
• Tenderness to the touch
• Fever

The size of a pilonidal cyst can vary, ranging from a small dimple to a large, painful area.

Diagnosing Pilonidal Cysts

To diagnose a pilonidal cyst, your healthcare provider will typically perform a physical examination and ask you questions about your symptoms, such as:

• When did you first notice the symptoms?
• Have you experienced this problem before?
• Have you had a fever?
• What medications or supplements are you currently taking?

In some cases, your healthcare provider may order imaging tests, such as an ultrasound or CT scan, to confirm the diagnosis and rule out other potential conditions.

Treatment Options for Pilonidal Cysts

The treatment for a pilonidal cyst depends on the severity of the condition and the individual’s response to various interventions. Some of the common treatment options include:

Nonsurgical Treatments

• Warm water soaks: Soaking the affected area in warm water can help ease pain and potentially allow the cyst to drain on its own.
• Over-the-counter pain medication: Taking non-prescription pain relievers can help alleviate discomfort associated with the pilonidal cyst.
• Keeping the area clean and dry: Maintaining good hygiene in the affected area is important to prevent infection and promote healing.

Surgical Treatments

• Incision and drainage: This is a common first-line treatment where the healthcare provider makes an incision in the cyst to drain the accumulated pus and remove any hair follicles.
• Marsupialization: In this procedure, the healthcare provider drains the cyst and then sutures the edges of the incision to the wound edges, creating a pouch-like structure.
• Incision, drainage, and wound closure: The cyst is drained, and the wound is fully closed after the procedure.
• Complete cyst and sinus tract excision: In this more extensive surgical approach, the entire cyst and any associated sinus tracts are surgically removed.

After any surgical treatment, it is crucial to follow your healthcare provider’s instructions for at-home care, including wound cleaning and monitoring for signs of infection.

Recurrence and Prevention of Pilonidal Cysts

Unfortunately, pilonidal cysts have a high recurrence rate, even after surgical treatment. To help prevent the development or recurrence of a pilonidal cyst, you can consider the following measures:

• Maintain good hygiene in the affected area
• Avoid prolonged sitting or standing
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Reduce excessive sweating in the tailbone region
• Consider regular hair removal in the affected area

Regular follow-up with your healthcare provider is also important to monitor for any signs of recurrence and address them promptly.

Conclusion

Pilonidal cysts can be a painful and recurrent condition, but with proper diagnosis and treatment, many individuals are able to achieve a complete cure. By understanding the causes, symptoms, and available treatment options, you can work closely with your healthcare provider to manage this condition effectively.

Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, Surgery

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

• What Causes a Pilonidal Cyst?
• Symptoms
• When Should I Call a Doctor?
• Diagnosis
• What Can I Do to Feel Better?
• Treatments
• After Surgery
• More

There’s a type of cyst you can get at the bottom of your tailbone, or coccyx. It’s called a pilonidal cyst, and it can become infected and filled with pus. Once infected, the technical term is “pilonidal abscess,” and it can be painful.

It looks like a large pimple at the bottom of your tailbone. It is more common in men than in women. It usually happens more often in younger people.

People who sit a lot, such as truck drivers, have a higher chance of getting one.

They can be treated. If your cyst becomes a problem, your doctor can drain it or take it out through surgery.

Most doctors think that ingrown hairs are the reason for many of them. Pilonidal means “nest of hair,” and doctors sometimes find hair follicles inside the cyst.

Another theory is that pilonidal cysts appear after a trauma to that region of your body.

During World War II, more than 80,000 soldiers got pilonidal cysts that put them in the hospital. People thought they were because of irritation from riding in bumpy Jeeps. For a while, the condition was called “Jeep disease.”

You might be more likely to get one if you were born with a small dimple in the skin between your buttocks. This dimple can tend to get infected, though doctors aren’t exactly sure why.

Other risk factors include obesity, large amounts of hair, not enough exercise, prolonged sitting, and excessive sweating.

The symptoms of a pilonidal cyst include:

• Pain, redness, and swelling at the bottom of the spine
• Pus or blood draining out of it
• Bad smell from the pus
• Tenderness to the touch
• Fever

They can vary in size. Yours may be a small dimple or cover a large, painful area.

A pilonidal cyst is an abscess or boil. Treatment may include antibiotics, hot compresses and topical treatment with depilatory creams. In more severe cases it needs to be drained, or lanced, to heal. Like other boils, it does not get better with antibiotics.

If you have any of the symptoms, call your doctor.

Your doctor can diagnose a pilonidal cyst with a physical exam and by asking you questions about it. Among the things they may ask you:

• When did you first feel symptoms?
• Have you had this problem before?
• Have you had a fever?
• What medications or supplements do you take?

Early in the infection of a pilonidal cyst, the redness, swelling, and pain may not be too bad. Some things you might want to try:

• To ease any pain, soak in a tub of warm water. Sometimes, your cyst may open and drain on its own this way.
• Take nonprescription pain medicine, but follow the dosing instructions.
• Keep the cyst and area around it clean and dry.

Antibiotics do not heal a pilonidal cyst. But doctors have any number of procedures they can try. Here are some options:

Incision and drainage: This is the preferred method for a first pilonidal cyst. Your doctor makes a cut into the cyst and drains it. They remove any hair follicles and leaves the wound open, packing the space with gauze.

Advantage — It’s a simple procedure done under local anesthesia, meaning just the area around the cyst is numbed.

Disadvantage — You have to change the gauze often until the cyst heals, which sometimes takes up to 3 weeks.

Marsupialization: In this procedure, your doctor makes a cut and drains the cyst, removing pus and any hair that are inside. They’ll sew the edges of the cut to the wound edges to make a pouch.

Advantages — This is outpatient surgery under local anesthesia. It also lets the doctor make a smaller, shallower cut so that you don’t need to take out and repack gauze daily.

Disadvantages — It takes about 6 weeks to heal, and you need a doctor specially trained in the technique.

Incision, drainage, closing of wound: In this technique, the cyst is drained, but it’s not left open.

Advantage — You don’t need to pack gauze because your doctor fully closes the wound right after surgery.

Disadvantages — You’re more likely to have more problems with the cyst down the road. It’s harder to remove the entire cyst with this method. It’s usually done in an operating room with a specially trained surgeon.’

Other surgical procedures include complete cyst and cyst wall excision along with the pilonidal sinus tracts, the use of fibrin glue, and taking (core out) only diseased tissue and the cyst out with punch biopsies.

Follow all of your doctor’s instructions about at-home care, especially if you need to remove and pack gauze. Other tips:

• Try to keep the area clean.
• Check for any signs of a new infection, such as redness, pus, or pain.
• Keep your follow-up appointments with your doctor so they can see how your cyst is healing.

A complete cure is possible, but remember that a pilonidal cyst may recur even if you had one surgically removed.

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why, what to do if it boils in the tank, how to prevent boiling

Contents

• Composition and tasks of the cooling system
• Antifreeze boiling symptoms
• Why does the coolant boil
• What happens if antifreeze boils
• Coolant boil prevention

Optimum temperature conditions for the operation of an internal combustion engine, even under severe operating conditions, are provided by the cooling system. Efficient heat removal from the cylinder block and parts of the piston group depends on the quality and properties of the antifreeze circulating in the circuit. Due to a malfunction of the system elements, as well as the poor quality of the additives, the coolant may boil. The consequences of overheating of the coolant are very serious for the motor. If the correct measures are not taken in a timely manner, the engine will lose power and fail. To restore the engine to working capacity, an expensive overhaul will be needed, so every driver must know how to control the coolant temperature and what to do if the antifreeze boils in the car.

Composition and tasks of the cooling system

To remove excess thermal energy from the engine, a liquid-type cooling system with a circulating coolant is provided. High-quality antifreeze evenly cools the power unit and releases heat into the atmosphere. In order for the cooling system to perform its functions, the following components are structurally provided:

• channels in the cylinder block forming a “cooling jacket”;
• pump for coolant circulation in the circuit;
• radiator for transferring heat from antifreeze to the atmosphere;
• fan to enhance air flow;
• interior heater heat exchanger;
• coolant temperature sensor;
• thermostat and expansion tank.

The operation of the cooling circuit is controlled by an electronic unit that receives signals from sensors and sends impulses to turn on the fan, thermostat heater and other additional devices. In good condition, the cooling system with circulating antifreeze successfully maintains the temperature regime of the engine, as well as automatic transmission (in some models).

In addition, thanks to the hot coolant, the air in the vehicle interior is heated in order to maintain a comfortable microclimate for the driver and passengers. Also, the coolant can be used in the machine to cool the air flow supplied to the turbine and exhaust gases in the recirculation device. For the power unit are provided:

• increased resource of trouble-free operation of the motor;
• economical fuel consumption;
• engine performance;
• maximum power;
• trouble-free vehicle operation in hot climates.

Given the importance of maintaining optimum engine temperature, vehicle owners should be aware of and identify the signs that antifreeze is boiling, and the negative effects it can have on the engine.

Symptoms of antifreeze boiling

If the driver timely detects the heating of the coolant to a critical temperature at which boiling begins, then the destruction of the cylinder block and deformation of the parts of the piston group can be avoided. To this end, in the technical documentation, automakers recommend that the driver constantly monitor the heating of the coolant in the cooling system while driving a car (on a trip). You can monitor the temperature in the circuit using the control device on the control panel. When the arrow or digital indicator tends to the red zone, this is the first sign of system overheating. When antifreeze boils, the driver must immediately stop the car and turn off the engine in order to understand the cause of the malfunction. It is unacceptable to operate a car with boiling coolant.

The operation of the instrument or the overheat warning lamp (on some models) depends entirely on the health of the temperature sensor installed in the cooling jacket of the cylinder block. If the control device on the control panel is faulty, then the driver must pay attention to the following signs:

• puffs of steam come out from under the bonnet;
• floating idle speed;
• power reduction, acceleration time increase;
• increasing noise while the engine is running at different speeds;
• sonorous (metallic) rumble;
• sudden stop of the engine;
• the composition has acquired a dark color;
• a white coating has formed on the electrodes of the candles or cracks have appeared;
• Antifreeze leaks from under the cylinder head gasket.

If the antifreeze boils and the engine heats up to a critical temperature, then when the car accelerates, the dynamics will deteriorate due to detonation (explosions in the cylinders). In the expansion tank, flakes and oil stains appear in the coolant due to engine oil entering the cooling circuit. Such a defect occurs due to the burning of the cylinder head gasket due to the heating of the antifreeze to the boiling point. If coolant enters the crankcase, foam and emulsion can be seen on the dipstick and on the bottom of the oil filler cap.

Why coolant boils

High-quality antifreeze designed for the car cooling system has a high boiling point of at least 110 °C. With this property, the coolant provides the optimal temperature regime for the operation of the power unit, including at full load. An increase in the temperature of the coolant to a critical value and boiling of antifreeze is possible for several reasons.

1. The radiator fan does not turn on due to a burned out electric motor, a relay or control unit malfunction.
2. The centrifugal pump (usually the bearing) is out of order and the coolant does not move in the cooling circuit, including through the radiator.
3. The thermostat is jammed, as a result of which the coolant circulates through the cooling jacket and the interior heater heat exchanger, therefore it cannot transfer heat to the atmosphere.
4. Formation of coolant leakage points. For each engine model, a certain amount of coolant is calculated, which is necessary for efficient heat removal. When the level in the system decreases, the antifreeze boils. A drop in the level is also observed as a result of the natural evaporation of the coolant, since the composition, in addition to alcohol, includes water.
5. Faulty sensor (relay) responsible for turning on the fan motor. Typically, the sensor is set to turn on at an antifreeze temperature of about 90–95 ° C. When the coolant reaches this temperature, the fan turns on and the heat exchange process in the radiator is more efficient.
6. Radiator honeycombs clogged with debris and dust. Air cannot pass freely through the cells, so the coolant does not cool completely when it circulates in the radiator. Clogging can occur due to the ingress of fluff, leaves, insects and dirt.
7. Violation of the circulation of the coolant due to an air lock. Air enters the system when the antifreeze is not properly filled into the circuit or when the coolant level in the expansion tank drops below the min mark.

Antifreeze also boils due to the difficult movement of the technical fluid in the circuit, due to the formation of sediment and plaque on the inner walls of the channels of the cooling jacket and nozzles. Such a malfunction occurs when a coolant with low-quality additives or a composition that is incompatible with the coolant poured into the system is added to the coolant circuit.

What happens if the antifreeze boils

The effects on the engine when the coolant reaches boiling point can be moderate to critical. It all depends on the timeliness of the actions of the driver. If the driver noticed in time that the indicator arrow on the dashboard went into the red zone, which means that the antifreeze had boiled, immediately stopped and turned off the engine, then moderate malfunctions are possible.

• Cylinder head gasket damage.
• Violation of compression in the cylinders due to deformation of the piston rings.
• Reflow piston mirror.
• Curvature of the BC head.
• Compression loss in cylinders.
• Defective intake and exhaust valves.

If the engine overheated due to the boiling of antifreeze and spontaneously stopped (jammed), then a major overhaul or a complete replacement of the power unit will be required to restore performance, if the repair is not economically feasible due to the high cost. Consequences for the motor as a result of critical overheating:

• piston burnout;
• fusion and rupture of compression rings;
• ingress of molten alloys on the cylinder walls;
• melting of the crankshaft liners;
• the appearance of cracks in the cylinder block;
• crankshaft jamming;
• piston damage to the cylinder block walls.

Determining the reason why the antifreeze boils in the tank, you can fix the problem and prevent an engine overhaul.

Prevention of coolant boiling

To prevent boiling of antifreeze and overheating of the power unit, the driver is advised to follow simple rules.

1. While driving, constantly monitor the coolant temperature using the indicator on the dashboard.
2. Check the coolant level in the expansion tank before every long journey and regularly when driving in town.
3. Pay attention to the presence of coolant under the vehicle after parking.
4. At the first sign of boiling of the coolant, turn off the engine and do not start until the cause of overheating is clarified.

Also, in order to prevent the antifreeze from boiling, only a certified coolant with high-quality additives recommended by the manufacturer should be poured into the system. We offer a wide range of high quality Sintec coolants of various types for gasoline and diesel engines of all vehicles. Having figured out why the antifreeze is boiling, and having eliminated the cause of the malfunction, you can choose to fill the car with a coolant that meets the requirements of the manufacturers and is characterized by a high boiling point.

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Photo: Zamir Usmanov / Russian Look

Not a single car, even the most modern one, is immune from boiling. The reasons can be different: from technical malfunctions to the inattention of the motorist. Remember that the consequences, as a rule, are disastrous: violation of the geometry and destruction of the internal elements of the engine. All this leads to costly repairs. Let’s figure out what to do if the engine still boils, and how to avoid serious damage.

A failed thermostat, a broken drive belt, low antifreeze levels are all causes that can cause the engine to boil. Most often we are talking about a lack of antifreeze, so at least once every two weeks it is better to control the level of coolant.

On older machines, clogged cooling cells or a broken fan can often be a problem. In addition, overheating can be triggered by malfunctions in the ignition system, faulty spark plugs and low-quality fuel.

During trips, and especially when idle with the engine running in long summer traffic jams, the driver must follow the temperature gauge on the instrument panel. 85-90 degrees are considered normal. An increase in temperature by 5-10 degrees is already considered potentially dangerous.

Photo: Michael Hartmann / imagebroker.com / Global Look Press

When the coolant reaches 100 degrees, the coolant begins to boil, and steam begins to come out from under the hood of the car. At the same time, it should be remembered that the temperature of the coolant in the system may change due to the traffic situation (idle traffic in summer, driving at low speed). In this case, it is important to observe temperature fluctuations within certain limits, however, after turning on the fan, the arrow will drop again.

There are two scenarios: the engine overheated, but not yet boiled, and overheated when steam began to pour from under the hood. In the first case, a boiling car must be immediately stopped in a safe place, turn off the air conditioner and open the hood. In this case, you should not turn off the engine immediately – it is better to let it run at idle. Otherwise, the coolant stops moving through the system and boiled antifreeze can damage engine parts.

If steam comes out from under the hood, coolant is getting onto a hot cylinder block. The car must be turned off as soon as possible – a running engine can lead to jamming.

The easiest way to reset the temperature is to turn on the stove at full power. It sounds strange, but the heater will take some of the heat and play the role of an additional means of cooling the antifreeze. For summer time, sometimes a stop with an open hood for 40-50 minutes is enough.

Important! In no case should you open the cap of the expansion tank or radiator – this can lead to a splash of boiling antifreeze and serious burns.

But in case of overheating, it is best to call a tow truck or tow the car to the nearest service.

It happens that the coolant temperature arrow quickly creeps up, but the radiator remains cold – we can talk about a jammed thermostat. In this case, it is better to drive to the service with the lowest possible load on the engine and the stove fan constantly on.