GANGLION CYST

Course overview

GANGLION CYSTS ARE SYNOVIAL CYSTS THAT ARE FILLED WITH GELATINOUS MUCOID MATERIAL AND COMMONLY ENCOUNTERED IN ORTHOPEDIC CLINICAL PRACTICE. ALTHOUGH THE EXACT ETIOLOGY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF GANGLION CYSTS IS UNKNOWN, THEY ARE BELIEVED TO ARISE FROM REPETITIVE MICROTRAUMA RESULTING IN MUCINOUS DEGENERATION OF CONNECTIVE TISSUE. THEY ARE THE MOST COMMON SOFT TISSUE MASS FOUND WITHIN THE HAND AND WRIST, BUT THEY ARE ALSO COMMONLY ENCOUNTERED IN THE KNEE AND FOOT. ALTHOUGH THE MAJORITY OF GANGLION CYSTS ARE ASYMPTOMATIC, PATIENTS MAY PRESENT WITH PAIN, TENDERNESS, WEAKNESS, AND DISSATISFACTION WITH COSMETIC APPEARANCE. BOTH NON-OPERATIVE AND SURGICAL TREATMENTS ARE AVAILABLE, BUT A HIGH RECURRENCE RATE HAS HISTORICALLY PLAGUED NON-SURGICAL TREATMENT. SURGICAL EXCISION CAN PROVIDE RESOLUTION OF PATIENTS' SYMPTOMS, BUT KNOWLEDGE OF THE UNDERLYING ANATOMY ADJACENT TO THE CYST IS CRUCIAL TO AVOID INJURING NEUROVASCULAR STRUCTURES WITHIN PROXIMITY TO THE CYST. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE ETIOLOGY, PRESENTATION, EVALUATION, AND MANAGEMENT OF GANGLION CYSTS AND REVIEWS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EVALUATING, DIAGNOSING, AND MANAGING THE CONDITION.