A Rare Occupational Disease of Hair Dressers: Interdigital Pilonidal Sinus

A true pilonidal sinus in the hand of a sheep shearer

“…(4) It is important that those at risk adhere to a good hygiene routine; meticulous cleaning and drying of the area, wearing gloves and ensuring the removal of any hairs that may have penetrated the skin during their work. (6,9)…”

“…(4,5,9) In the example of one abattoir worker the sinus was found to be filled with animal hairs. (1)Figure 4 shows the microscopic findings within the excised sinus of our patient, displaying fibres of different colour and this may reflect the different varieties of sheep with which the patient works.…”

“…Over 50 cases of inter-digital pilonidal sinus have been described but there have only been two cases in male sheep shearers with the most recent in 1966. (4,6,7)…”

Interdigital Pilonidal Sinus: A Case Report and Literature Review

“…Although sacrococcygeal pilonidal disease is a common surgical entity, rarer locations of the disease have been reported as case presentations in the literature. Interdigital localization is one of the rarest forms and is commonly encountered in barbers with male customers as an occupational disease due to contact with short and stiff hairs . Templeton first described the disease in 1940, and its histologic structure has been reported as a foreign body granuloma .…”

“…Interdigital pilonidal disease has also been reported in dog groomers and cow milkers. These cases were known as “shearer's disease” and “milker's granuloma,” and they occurred because of the stiff hairs of dogs and goats, exhibiting the same mechanism . Fewer than 20 cases with barber's disease have been reported in the literature, and taking into account all occupations, approximately 50 cases have been published .…”