Ganglion Cysts

Ganglion cysts are non-cancerous, fluid-filled sacks that often appear along the joints and tendons of the hand and wrist. They can develop in many areas around the hand and wrist. These common cysts can appear suddenly or grow over time and there is no known cause. They tend to occur more often in women, and 70% of these cysts appear in people between the ages of 20 and 40. In many cases, ganglion cysts cause no pain at all and require no treatment. They've been knows to simply go away all on their own. The majority of ganglion cysts however do cause a persistent, aching pain made worse by joint movement. Either way, it is optimum to have any ganglion cysts evaluated by your physician.

When treatment is recommended to relieve pain, improve mobility and function, or for cosmetic purposes, it typically involves removing the fluid from the cyst, or surgically removing the cyst. Aspiration is the term used to describe the procedure where your physician removes the fluid with a needle and then splints your wrist to prevent movement. Cysts can return in more than 50% of these cases. When the cysts are surgically removed, the recurrence rate is greatly reduced.