A cyst on the tailbone is also known as a Pilonidal Cyst. It is like a “skin pocket”, which contains hair, small quantities of infected or abnormal tissue as well as skin debris. This cyst is usually located very close to the tailbone just above the buttock cleft, where the tailbone ends.
These cysts occur in men more often than in women and are more commonly found in people who are between the ages of 15 to 24 years.
A pilonidal cyst is normally harmless, but if it gets infected, it could lead to draining of fluids (blood and pus), inflammation, reddening of the skin and a lot of pain. This would usually be accompanied with a foul smell due to the draining of the fluid. If you don’t get the pilonidal cyst treated in time, it could also result in an infection or a painful abscess. At times it could also lead to high fever, but this is not very common.
If a chronic recurring cyst on the tailbone is left untreated or even if the treatment is not proper, it could result in a kind of skin cancer known as squamous cell carcinoma. In order to gauge the severity of your condition, a medical checkup may be required to avoid any further complications.
Most pilonidal cysts are caused by the loose hair that penetrates your skin. Wearing tight-fitting clothes, riding bicycles for long periods of time, skin friction and sitting for very long could force your hair into the skin leading to ingrowths. Your body treats this hair as a foreign object and forms a cyst around it.
These cysts could also occur because of - obesity, an inactive lifestyle, poor hygiene, excess body hair, sitting for long durations or excessive sweating. At times, a pilonidal cyst is caused by a hair follicle that has ruptured, which may occur because of the sudden stretching of your skin.
A tailbone cyst can be prevented by regularly removing the hair from your buttocks and the area near your tailbone.
If you have a cyst on your tailbone that has already been infected, you may require surgery, where a doctor will have to open the cyst and drain it. In case the cyst you have is recurring, the doctor may ask you to go in for complete lancing, which involves removing the cyst along with some of the tissue surrounding it.