Effects of Disease Characteristics on the Sleep Quality in Sacrococcygeal Pilonidal Sinus Disease

Sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus is a prevalent disease seen in 26/100,000 people and significantly deteriorates the quality of life. A significant contributor to health-related quality of life is sleep quality. However, sleep quality in pilonidal disease is a neglected issue in the literature. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the sleep quality and possible associations between disease characteristics and sleep quality in sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus disease. This prospective survey included patients with pilonidal sinus and controls without pilonidal disease. Basal demographic and anthropometric characteristics, substance use and lifestyle habits, family histories, sleep characteristics, and clinical characteristics such as hair types, pilonidal pits, intergluteal sulcus types, and pilonidal sinus types were evaluated. Sleep quality was evaluated using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and quality of life was assessed using Short Form 36. A total of 281 patients and 126 controls were included. Self-reported sleep problems were present in 23.5% of patients, and the most common cause was pain (28.8%). Questionnaire assessments showed significantly deteriorated sleep quality in pilonidal sinus patients. Similarly, they had a significantly poorer quality of life. Based on Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, 28.6% of controls and 80.7% of patients had poor sleep quality (p < 0.001). Patients with acute pilonidal sinus in the Tezel classification had poorer sleep quality than recurrent cases (p = 0.046). Sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus disease is associated with significant sleep disturbances. Therefore, identifying the deteriorated sleep quality in this population and planning accurate interventions would increase the quality of life and contribute to the treatment of these patients.