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Ganglion cysts are noncancerous bumps, which are usually circular or oval in shape and have a jelly–like fluid inside.
Ganglion cysts typically develop at particular joints. Using the affected joint could intensify any discomfort you already experience and cause more swelling.
Ganglion cysts commonly appear on:
- Wrist: Front or back area.
- Finger: Any joint of the finger
- Foot: Near your toes or ankles.
Larger ganglion cysts can be around an inch (2.5 centimeters) in diameter, but smaller ones can be pea–sized. In cases when they push on a neighboring nerve, ganglion cysts can be unpleasant. Sometimes, their position prevents joints from moving freely.
Your doctor could advise trying to empty the cyst with a needle if your ganglion cyst is uncomfortable. Another approach is to surgically remove the cyst. However, there is no need for treatment if there are no symptoms. The cysts frequently disappear on their own.
Symptoms
The following characteristics apply to lumps connected to ganglion cysts:
- Location. Ganglion cysts most frequently form near the tendons or joints of your hands or wrists. Ankles and feet are the second most common sites. Other joints may also be affected by these cysts.
- Shape and size. Ganglion cysts are typically spherical or oval and have a diameter of less than an inch (2.5 centimeters). A cyst’s size can change, frequently expanding when you use that joint repeatedly.
- Pain. Ganglion cysts typically cause no pain. However, if a cyst is too small to produce a visible lump, it can nevertheless pushes on a nerve and cause pain, tingling, numbness, or muscle weakness.
If you feel a noticeable lump or pain in your wrist, hand, ankle, or foot, consult a doctor for further diagnosis and treatment.
Causes
There are no specific reason why ganglion cysts occur. It appears to develop when the tissue that surrounds a joint or a tendon bulges out of position. It emerges from the lining of a tendon or joint and resembles a miniature water balloon on a stalk. A thick lubricating fluid that resembles the fluid found in joints or surrounding tendons is present inside the cyst.
Risk factors
The following factors may make you more likely to develop ganglion cysts:
- Age. Anyone can develop ganglion cysts, but women between the ages of 20 and 40 are the ones develop them most frequently.
- Sex: Ganglion cysts are more common in women.
- Osteoarthritis. The chance of developing ganglion cysts proximal to the finger joints is increased in people who have wear–and–tear arthritis in those joints.
- Joint or tendon injury. Ganglion cysts are more likely to form on previously injured joints or tendons.
Diagnosis
The doctor may press on the cyst during the physical examination to feel for pain or discomfort and use a light to shine through it to assess if the cyst is a solid mass or fluid. To rule out further illnesses like arthritis or a tumor, your doctor may also advise imaging tests like X–rays, ultrasounds, or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Hidden (occult) cysts may also be found using MRIs and ultrasounds.
Aspiration, a procedure in which your doctor uses a needle and syringe to draw out (aspire) the fluid from the cyst, may be used to confirm a ganglion cyst diagnosis. A ganglion cyst will release a thick, clear, or translucent fluid.
Treatment
Ganglion cysts frequently have no discomfort and do not require treatment and therefore may only need a wait–and–see attitude. Your doctor might suggest the following treatment if the cyst is causing pain or restricting joint movement:
- Immobilization. Because movement can make the ganglion cyst enlarge, using a brace or splint to temporarily immobilize the area may be beneficial. Your nerves may become less compressed as the cyst diminishes, alleviating pain. Avoid using a brace or splint for an extended period of time since this may cause the adjacent muscles to deteriorate.
- Aspiration. Your doctor will use a needle to drain the cyst’s fluid during this procedure, but the cyst might recur.
- Surgery. In the event that previous therapies fail to relieve your cyst, or it returns, your doctor may recommend surgery. Ganglia are treated by removing the entire cyst by surgeons. A stalk–like structure (root) is frequently present alongside a cyst.
Your doctor might do an arthroscopy (tiny incisions) or open (traditional) procedures. To fully fix the issue, surgeons occasionally need to remove some tissue from the adjacent joint.
Ganglionectomy is the medical term for surgery to remove a ganglion cyst in an outpatient operation, so the recovery time is faster. It takes two to six weeks to fully recover. The complicated treatments that orthopedic surgeons perform on the body’s joints and other soft tissues require specific training.
Your symptoms may be successfully treated with surgery. The likelihood of a ganglion cyst returning is significantly decreased by surgically removing the cyst. However, commonly ganglia recurs after surgery in 5% to 15% of cases.
