Effectiveness of Different Surgical Techniques for Curative Treatment of Pilonidal Sinus Disease in the Pediatric Population (PiloPedia)

March 9, 2026 updated by: University Hospital, Angers

Effectiveness of Different Surgical Techniques for Curative Treatment of Pilonidal Sinus Disease in the Pediatric Population: A 10-Year Single-Center Retrospective Comparative Cohort Study

Pilonidal sinus disease (PSD) in children is associated with significant morbidity and recurrence risk. Multiple surgical techniques are used, including excision with open healing, primary midline closure, off-midline closure, flap reconstruction, and minimally invasive approaches. However, high-quality comparative data in pediatric populations are limited, and adult data cannot be directly extrapolated.

This single-center retrospective cohort study aims to compare the effectiveness of different surgical techniques used for curative treatment of PSD in children treated at CHU Angers between January 1, 2015 and March 31, 2025.

The primary endpoint is surgical failure at 2 months, defined as absence of complete wound healing or early recurrence. Secondary outcomes include postoperative complications, time to healing, pain outcomes, length of hospital stay, and recurrence at 1 year.

Results are expected to help optimize institutional management strategies and contribute to pediatric-specific evidence.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This is a single-center retrospective observational cohort study conducted in the Departments of Pediatric Surgery and Visceral Surgery at CHU Angers, France.

All consecutive patients under 18 years of age who underwent surgical treatment for pilonidal sinus disease between January 1, 2015 and March 31, 2025 will be included.

Surgical techniques analyzed include:

  • Wide excision with open healing
  • Wide excision with primary midline closure
  • Wide excision with primary midline closure and negative pressure wound therapy
  • Minimally invasive/endoscopic techniques The primary objective is to compare treatment effectiveness at 2 months postoperatively. Secondary objectives include comparison of complication rates, healing delay, postoperative pain, and recurrence at 1 year, as well as identification of predictive factors for recurrence.

Data will be extracted from medical records and anonymized prior to statistical analysis.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
90

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Pediatric population

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age < 18 years at time of surgery
  • Surgical treatment for pilonidal sinus disease
  • Surgery performed between January 1, 2015 and March 31, 2025
  • Managed at CHU Angers (Pediatric or Visceral Surgery departments)
  • ICD-10 diagnosis code L05.9
  • CCAM procedure code QBFA007

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Emergency incision and drainage of acute pilonidal abscess (CCAM QBPA001)
  • Initial surgical management performed at another institution
  • Refusal of participation (patient and/or legal guardians, if applicable)
  • Alternative diagnosis (anal abscess, gluteal abscess)

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Wide excision with open healing
Intentional traditional treatment whitch consists in wide excision of the pilonidal sinus, and progressive healing of the wound thanks to daily dressing changes until complete closure is obtained.
Procedure: Surgical treatment for pilonidal sinus disease, including various techniques including excision with or without primary closure, or endoscopic techniques.
curative treatment of pilonidal sinus, consisting in a wide excision followed by open healing or direct closure of the wound +/- negative pressure therapy dressing. Alterantivelly, an endoscopic procedure to destroy the pilonidal sinus can be performed.
Wide excision with primary midline closure
Alternative technique using an immediate closure of the wound with layer of stiches, and regular dressings
Procedure: Surgical treatment for pilonidal sinus disease, including various techniques including excision with or without primary closure, or endoscopic techniques.
curative treatment of pilonidal sinus, consisting in a wide excision followed by open healing or direct closure of the wound +/- negative pressure therapy dressing. Alterantivelly, an endoscopic procedure to destroy the pilonidal sinus can be performed.
Wide excision with primary midline closure and negative pressure wound therapy
Alternative technique using an immediate closure of the wound with layer of stiches, completed with negative pressure therapy dressing, allowing for a fater recovery while requiring less dressing survey and changes.
Procedure: Surgical treatment for pilonidal sinus disease, including various techniques including excision with or without primary closure, or endoscopic techniques.
curative treatment of pilonidal sinus, consisting in a wide excision followed by open healing or direct closure of the wound +/- negative pressure therapy dressing. Alterantivelly, an endoscopic procedure to destroy the pilonidal sinus can be performed.
Minimally invasive/endoscopic techniques
Surgical treatment for pilonidal sinus disease, including various techniques including excision with or without primary closure, or endoscopic techniques.
Procedure: Surgical treatment for pilonidal sinus disease, including various techniques including excision with or without primary closure, or endoscopic techniques.
curative treatment of pilonidal sinus, consisting in a wide excision followed by open healing or direct closure of the wound +/- negative pressure therapy dressing. Alterantivelly, an endoscopic procedure to destroy the pilonidal sinus can be performed.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Failure rate
Time Frame: 2 months after surgery

Definition of failure:

  • Absence of complete wound healing at 2 months, OR
  • Clinical recurrence of pilonidal sinus within 2 months
2 months after surgery

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Postoperative complications
Time Frame: Up to 1 year
  • Early (<30 days) and late complications
  • Graded according to Clavien-Madadi classification Through study completion, average 6 month
Up to 1 year
Time to complete wound healing
Time Frame: Up to 1 year
time in months
Up to 1 year
Length of hospital stay
Time Frame: at hospital discharge
duration of hospital stay in days
at hospital discharge
Postoperative pain duration
Time Frame: Up to 30 days
Up to 30 days
Postoperative pain Intensity
Time Frame: Up to 30 days
Up to 30 days
Analgesic consumption for postoperative pain
Time Frame: Up to 30 days
morphine equivalent dose
Up to 30 days
Predictive factors for recurrence
Time Frame: Up to last follow-up
bivariate and multivariate analysis
Up to last follow-up
Recurrence rate
Time Frame: Up to 1 year
Through study completion, average 6 month
Up to 1 year

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University Hospital, Angers

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Françoise SCHMITT, University Hospital of Angers

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
April 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
August 31, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
August 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
March 4, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 9, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
March 13, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
March 13, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 9, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 49RC25_0350

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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