The Enigmatic Ganglion Cyst

​Ganglion cysts are soft tissue, fluid-filled swellings most frequently found in the hand and wrist; their origin is not exactly clear. They are common, however, and can occasionally be associated with surprising morbidity despite their benign nature. The morbidity seems to be related to their tendency to localize in highly mobile and anatomically tight quarters such as the hand and wrist. Nevertheless, they can show up almost anywhere.Cysts can also have sequelae, such as sciatica from a piriformis ganglionic cyst, compression radiculopathy from a lumbar intraspinal ganglion cyst, foot drop from peroneal nerve cyst, metatarsal stress fractures, temporomandibular joint cysts, and other intratendinous, intraneural, and intraosseous ganglion cysts of the lunate. Ganglion cysts can also cause significant pain, paresthesia, weakness, muscle denervation, and muscle atrophy.The etiology is not completely defined, but degeneration or softening of the connective tissue such as collagen after long-term irritation or trauma is most commonly reported. These cysts are often found overlying a joint or tendon sheath, and most likely arise from herniation of dense connective tissue from tendon sheaths, ligaments, joint capsules, bursae, and menisci. Some believe there are actually two entities—ganglion and synovial cysts. They are similar, but their different morphostructural characteristics may justify their descriptions as two separate entities. (Rheumatol Int 2015;35[4]:597.) Syn...
Source: M2E Too! Mellick's Multimedia EduBlog - Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs