De-roofing and curettage vs WLE for pilonidal abscess
Research type
Research Study
Full title
De-roofing and curettage versus wide local excision for the treatment of acute pilonidal abscess: A randomised controlled trial
IRAS ID
241937
Contact name
Kamran Qurashi
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 8 months, 1 days
Research summary
Pilonidal disease refers to a common disease affecting mostly young males. It may present as asymptomatic pits, acute and painful abscess formation, or chronic discharging sinuses. There are many treatment options for the latter two manifestations but broadly speaking the surgical treatment of acute pilonidal abscess can fall into three categories: (1) incision and drainage, (2) de-roofing and curettage and (3) wide local excision.
The evidence available for the surgical management of acute pilonidal abscess is limited. Previous studies have consistently demonstrated that incision and drainage results in high recurrence rates and should not be considered as the first-line treatment option for the management of acute pilonidal abscess. However, it is not clear whether abscess de-roofing with curettage or wide local excision should be considered as the surgical procedure of choice in acute pilonidal abscess. There has not been a prospective randomised study comparing abscess de-roofing with curettage and wide local excision for acute pilonidal abscess. The ideal surgical procedure would be one that results in the lowest rate of abscess recurrence, treats the underlying pilonidal sinus thereby reducing the need for re-operation but has acceptable post-operative pain, complications and time to complete wound healing.
REC name
London - Harrow Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/LO/0395
Date of REC Opinion
15 Jun 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion