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Journal of Clinical Pathology logoLink to Journal of Clinical Pathology
. 1989 Nov;42(11):1140–1142. doi: 10.1136/jcp.42.11.1140

Microbiology of infected pilonidal sinuses.

I Brook 1
PMCID: PMC501969  PMID: 2584424

Abstract

Aspirates of pus from infected pilonidal sinuses in 75 patients showed bacterial growth. Anaerobic bacteria only were recovered in 58 (77%) specimens, aerobic bacteria only in three (4%), and mixed aerobic and anaerobic bacteria in 14 (19%). Two hundred and nine isolates were recovered: 147 anaerobes (2.0 isolates a specimen) and 62 aerobes (0.8 a specimen). The predominant anaerobes were Bacteroides sp (81 isolates, including 29 Bacteroides fragilis group) and 51 anaerobic cocci. The predominant aerobes were Escherichia coli (n = 15), Proteus sp (n = 9), group D streptococcus (n = 7), and Pseudomonas sp (n = 7). This study highlights the polymicrobial nature and predominance of anaerobic bacteria in infected pilonidal sinuses.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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