An algorithm for the diagnosis of sacrococcygeal pilonidal disease in resource-limited settings

Abstract

Pilonidal disease (PD) is a very common condition. In the countries of the global West, which have high per capita income and advanced health care systems, the average lifetime incidence is about 26 cases per 100,000 people. In the USA, about 70,000 new cases of the disease are registered annually. The full-scale aggression of the Russian Federation in February 2022 resulted in a drastic decline in access to high-quality health care in Ukraine, particularly affecting people living in temporarily occupied territories, communities with significant destruction, and internally displaced persons. Pilonidal disease substantially reduces patients’ working capacity, diminishes their quality of life, and, in some cases, can result in severe complications that pose an immediate threat to their lives.