Children's Health

Ganglion cyst in wrist

01/28/2000

Question:

My daughter fell on her wrist in October of `98. We had it examined & it was fine. About 4 months after that she developed a lump in the wrist joint & pain. The lump changed size & sometimes disappeared. We took her to a orthopaedic specialist who set her up for surgery for a ganglion cyst. During surgery they couldn`t find the cyst. We found it in the recover room. Now she still has pain and occasional swelling, but the shape has changed. Where should we go now?

Answer:

Ganglion cysts are common. They appear most frequently on the tendons of the hands and feet. They do not signify a serious problem-just a little sack of fluid on the tendinous sheath. They can come and go, as the sack or cyst fills or empties. They may suddenly disappear after being (accidently) struck, and never reappear. The general recommendation is to leave them alone unless they are causing significant pain or limitation of activities. Because most of the time they will never develop into a significant problem, and often will go away on their own, I rarely refer for something as drastic as excision. Occasionally in an athlete or surgeon, for whom particular acclivities may be necessary, I have referred for excision. Common sense recommendations for a person with a ganglion is that they should be careful not to under use the limb, keep it supple, strong, and with a good range of motion, and use acetaminophen for occasional pain.

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Response by:

Caroline Mueller, MD
Assistant Professor
Division of General Internal Medicine
Department of Internal Medicine
College of Medicine
University of Cincinnati