$Unique_ID{BRK00968}
$Pretitle{Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue}
$Title{What is a "Ganglion Cyst"?}
$Subject{ganglion cyst treatment}
$Volume{L-20}
$Log{}

Copyright (c) 1991   Tribune Media Services, Inc.


What is a "Ganglion Cyst"?


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QUESTION:  What is a "ganglion cyst"?  A friend gave that label to a hard, pea
sized lump I have developed in the wrist joint at the top of my left hand.  It
is not painful unless knocked.  Are these cysts common?  Can they turn
cancerous?  What is the best course of action for getting rid of one for
good?

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ANSWER:  Your pea sized lump is one of the most common tumors of the hand.  It
can arise from almost any tissue source, ligaments, tendon sheaths or joint
capsules.  Yours is at the most common location, the dorsum of the hand, and
fits well in the range of sizes, from but a few millimeters to 2 to 3
centimeters.  Though sometimes they feel quite hard, most often they have a
soft or rubbery feel, and are filled with a clear, jelly-like fluid.  They
never transform into a cancer of any type.  If you are not too inconvenienced
and your ganglion has been around for but a short time, you might want to
delay any treatment as sometimes this little balloon will disappear by itself.
It can be aspirated to remove the liquid, and then injected with a
corticosteroid, but that procedure provides no assurance that the the ganglion
cyst will not return.  The most effective method of treatment, when the
ganglion is symptomatic, is to eliminate it surgically, being most careful to
remove it all including the stalk that attaches it to its origin.  This
dissection may sometimes be performed under a local anesthetic.  A careful
skin closure will leave but a tiny scar, which when healed will be barely
visible.  An oft told tale is the biblical method of removal, slamming a bible
down on the ganglion and rupturing it under the skin without using any
surgical techniques.  Quaint, but not recommended, and certainly no guarantee
against recurrence.
ÿ
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The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace 
the counsel and advice of your personal physician.  Promptly consulting your 
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical 
problem.
