Pilonidal disease of the anterior perineum: an unusual presentation and review of current practice guidelines.

INTRODUCTION: Pilonidal disease is a common condition of the gluteal cleft region, but involvement of the anterior perineum is rarely reported. Surgical options for gluteal cleft disease include simple fistulotomy, excisional procedures with primary closure (ie, Bascom cleft lift, Karydakis and Limberg flaps), or excision with secondary healing. The Bascom cleft lift described here is an excisional procedure involving a rotational flap with an off-midline closure. Deep tissue is salvaged allowing for proper contouring of the gluteal cleft, resulting in a cosmetically pleasing result. CASE REPORT: A 20-year-old man with recurrent pilonidal abscesses of the gluteal cleft underwent a Bascom cleft lift procedure for definitive care of his disease. During the procedure, involvement of the anterior perineum was found. Given the location of the pits relative to the flap, the anterior perineal disease was treated only with removal of hair from within the pits and clipping the hair of the perineum. CONCLUSION: While this case highlights the current standard of care and surgical options for pilonidal disease, the ideal surgical options for rare cases of pilonidal disease of the anterior perineum remain to be determined.

Incidence of polyp formation following bariatric surgery.

BACKGROUND: Multiple studies have linked obesity to an increased risk of cancer. The correlation is so strong that the national cancer prevention guidelines recommend weight loss for patients with obesity to reduce their risk of cancer. Bariatric surgery has been shown to be very effective in sustained weight loss. However, there have been mixed findings about bariatric surgery and its effects on the risk of colorectal cancer. OBJECTIVE: This study sought to examine bariatric surgery patients and their risk of pre-cancerous or cancerous polyps to elucidate any risk factors or associations between bariatric surgery and colorectal cancer. SETTING: A retrospective review of the academic medical center's bariatric surgery database was performed from January 2010 to January 2017. Patients who underwent medical or surgical weight loss and had a subsequent colonoscopy were included in the study. Positive colonoscopy findings were described as malignant or premalignant polyps. METHODS: A total of 1777 patients were included, with 1360 in the medical group and 417 in the surgical group. Data analysis included patient demographics, co-morbidities, procedure performed, surgical approach, weight loss, and colonoscopy findings. A multivariate analysis was used to determine whether an association exists between weight loss and incidence of colorectal polyps, and if so, whether the association different for medical versus surgical weight loss. RESULTS: A higher percentage of body mass index (BMI) reduction was seen in the surgical group. An overall comparison showed average reductions in BMI of 27.7% in the surgical group and 3.5% in the medical group (P < .0001). Patients with the greatest reduction in BMI, regardless of medical or surgical therapy, showed a lower incidence of precancerous and cancerous polyps (P = .041). CONCLUSION: This study offers a unique approach in examining the incidence of colorectal polyps related to obesity. Patients with the greatest reduction in their BMI, more common in the surgical group, had a lower incidence of precancerous and cancerous polyps.