Doctors are not sure what causes a pilonidal cyst. One theory is that a small, and harmless cyst, has always been present at birth. For some reason it has been agitated and formed a painful abscess. Another explanation is that it is an ingrown hair, which also formed an abscess.
The condition was first discovered by the United States Army during World War II. It was termed "Jeep riders disease," as a large portion of people who were being hospitalized for it rode in jeeps. Rush Limbaugh was exempted from military service in Vietnam because of this.
Treatment for a pilonidal cyst usually begins during an infection, and a doctor might prescribe antibiotics as well as the application of hot compresses. Eventually it must be lanced, and surgery is the only permanent option for removing pilonidal cysts. This surgery involves cutting out the skin and flesh all the way down to the coccyx and allowing the body to regrow the ablated tissue.