$Unique_ID{BRK00531}
$Pretitle{Ill Defined Symptoms and Rare Diseases}
$Title{Is Baker's Cyst Anything to Worry About?}
$Subject{cyst popliteal knee Baker's}
$Volume{N-17}
$Log{}

Copyright (c) 1991   Tribune Media Services, Inc.


Is Baker's Cyst Anything to Worry About?


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QUESTION:  I have a soft lump on the back of my knee, that hurts when I
straighten my leg.  My doctor told me it was a Baker's Cyst, but I can't find
anything about it in my medical books.  Is this anything to worry about?  Can
it turn into cancer?  It isn't getting any better and I have had it for six
months.

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ANSWER:  Its also called a "popliteal cyst" since the back of your knee is the
popliteal area and may be the result of a hernia, or pushing outward of the
fibrous capsule of your knee, or of one of the bursa that are located in this
area.  A bursa is a sac or sac like formation that contains the thick, viscid
fluid that helps to "oil" the joint and prevent friction.  Although a Baker's
cyst (named, not after the bread makers, but Dr. W.M. Baker who described it
first) may occur at any age but is seen most frequently in men aged 15 to 30.
Its cause is unknown, although trauma to the knee is suspected and it never
progresses into a cancer of any type.  Conservative treatment using
anti-inflammatory medications, or aspirating the fluid out of the cyst and
injecting it with corticosteroids may help reduce the symptoms temporarily.
However your only hope for a permanent solution is to have the sac removed
surgically.  The surgeon dissects the cyst away from the surrounding tissue,
and ties of the neck of the sac.  When performed properly, this has a
permanent effect and prevents the cyst from increasing in size and extending
down the leg.  The pain will also disappear, and you will regain normal
function in your knee and leg.
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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.
