A tailbone cyst has the medical term of Pilonidal cyst and is an atypical pocket that originates in the skin and in most cases contains skin debris, hair and other tissue that is abnormal. This cyst is normally located near the tailbone at the very tip of the cleft of the buttocks.

These cysts seem to affect men most often and are commonly found in young adults. These cysts usually remain harmless. If it does become infected, it will cause inflammation, pain and will need the drainage of fluids.

This cyst is normally asymptomatic with the only sign of its presence might be a small pit in the skin surface.

But when it is septic, this cyst does present with numerous symptoms as it develops into a swollen abscess or mass. The symptoms and signs of an infected tailbone or pilonidal cyst include: swelling surrounding the area; pain; skin reddening and becoming warm; pus or blood draining from an opening in the skin referred to as the “pilonidal sinus”; smell that is foul from the pus that is draining; hair may protrude from a tract or track beneath the surface of that skin while links the infected cyst to the hole on the surface of the skin – more than one of these sinus tracts can develop; and fever – but this is less common.