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My son was complaining for about 4 days about when he used the rest room he would have blood on his tissue. Also complained a bit about it hurting to sit. So after the 4th day took him to doctor. He told the doctor he had noticed blood on his toilet paper for the last couple months (I was so mad at him) He did not think he needed to tell me because he has always had issues with hard bowel movements and just figured he would drink his metamucial and it would stop. Anyway after doc exmination she found a small Pilondial Cyst on the very bottom of his tail bone right before the anus area. She started him on medicine and also took a wound culture to check for staph infection. Well after a long week of meds twice a day and sitz's bathes with epson salt he has become more and more in pain. He yells while trying to sit hurts when having a bowel movement and had complaned about his boxers being stuck to him in the morning. He has had no fever byt still has blood on toilet paper. Sometimes alot sometimes a little. So I finally convinced him to let me look at the area. Now I was not in the exam room at doctors office with him because he is 18 years old and have no idea what I am looking for. Well I ended up finding several small ares of hair stuck together from drainage so I had him take a trimmer and cut the hair around the area. I then relooked and still really did not know what I was looking for but noticed a small what look to be a hole near the end of his tailbone but also for several more hole looking things on the flat part between the start of his butt crack and where the other hole looking thing is doctor found. So I had no idea what the doc saw and what I was looking at. I did clean area with medicine and he screamed in pain when I would put any pressure on the area. Called doc today and she said time to see a surgen. He can't get in for a while and I am concerned because of the level of pain. He really never complains about anything so I know he hurts. What can I do to help him? What are the little whole looking things? Also for the past 24 hours he keeps saying he feels like something is poking him in his Butt when he sits down or moves a certin way. Is that normal?? Should I go to an ER or will it just be a exam some pain meds and a follow up with a general surgon? Which I can make appointment and wait for without all the money spent on ER exam? I just am worried and really not sure what to do. Anyone have answers for me??
Thanks
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Hi Anon,
It sounds like your son's cysts may have become infected. Here's a little more information on Pilonidal Cysts so that you know what he is experiencing, although painful, is normal with the cysts.
A pilonidal cyst is an abnormal pocket originating in the skin that usually contains hair, skin debris and other abnormal tissue. A pilonidal cyst is almost always located near the tailbone at the top of the cleft of the buttocks. The term "pilonidal" comes from the Latin words for hair ("pilus") and nest ("nidus").
Pilonidal cysts affect men more often and most commonly occur in young adults.
A pilonidal cyst may remain harmless. If it becomes infected, however, it will cause pain, inflammation and usually drainage of fluids.
There is some disagreement about what causes pilonidal cysts. Most pilonidal cysts appear to be caused by loose hairs that penetrate the skin. Friction and pressure — skin rubbing against skin, tight clothing, bicycling, long periods of sitting or similar factors — force the hair down into skin. Responding to the hair as a foreign substance, the body creates a cyst around the hair.
Surgery
A surgical procedure is necessary if you have a recurring infected pilonidal cyst or if one or more sinus tracts are present. A surgeon will expose the cysts and all sinus tracts in order to clean out hairs, pus and other debris. The preferred surgical procedures generally fall into two categories:
Open wound. The surgical wound is left open and packed with dressing to allow it to heal from the inside out. This process results in a longer healing time but usually a lower risk of a recurring pilonidal cyst infection.
Closed wound. After cleaning out the cyst and sinus tracts, the surgeon stitches the wound closed. The healing time is shorter with these procedures, but there is a greater risk of recurrence. To improve healing time and lower the risk of recurrence, the surgeon may make the incision off to one side and create a flap of skin. Therefore, when he or she stitches the wound, it is not in the cleft of the buttocks, where healing is particularly difficult.
Wound care is extremely important after surgery. Your doctor or nurse will give you detailed instructions on how to change dressings, what to expect of a normal healing process and when to call the doctor. Postoperative care will also include shaving around the surgical site to prevent hairs from entering the wound.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pilonidal-cyst/DS00747
Here's a picture of a pilondial cyst: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/medical/IM02479
The "holes" are sinuses caused by infected pilonidal cyst. When is surgery scheduled for? If he continues to feel this excruciating pain, continue to call his doctor to see if you can push surgery or if you can at least take him back in.
Hope this helps,
Rosa
August 24, 2011 - 7:41amThis Comment