Lack of evidence that obesity is a cause of pilonidal sinus disease.
OBJECTIVE
To find out whether pilonidal sinus is more common among obese people.


METHODS
Retrospective study from hospital records.


METHODS
Two university hospitals, Turkey.


METHODS
419 patients who were operated on for pilonidal sinus disease; and 213 age and sex matched patients with benign diseases other than pilonidal sinus disease and who were not morbidly obese acted as controls.


METHODS
Comparison of body mass index (BMI) in the two groups.


RESULTS
Patients with BMI of 25-30 were classified as overweight (61/419, 15% compared with 28/213, 13%), and those with BMI of 30 or more as obese (7/419 compared with 4/213, 2% in each group). Mean (SD) BMI of patients with pilonidal sinus disease was 26.0 (3.9) compared with 25.6 (3.9) in the control group (p = 0.4).


CONCLUSIONS
Obesity alone is not an important factor in the aetiology of pilonidal sinus disease.
Cubukçu
A
A
Kocaeli University, Medical School, Turkey. defnecubukcu@hotmail.com
Carkman
S
S
Gönüllü
N N
NN
Alponat
A
A
Kayabaşi
B
B
Eyüboğlu
E
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications*; D010864:Pilonidal Sinus / Q000209:etiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors