Posted on March 29, 2008 in Latest News
A ganglion is a soft tissue mass. Ganglia can form around any joint, but they are most frequently found in the wrist and feet. On the foot, the most common area of involvement is in front of the ankle or on the outside of the ankle. They are usually painless and often barely visible as localized swellings. They typically do not appear to be inflamed. The largest ganglions form behind the back of the knee, causing a sense of fullness or tightness. A common characteristic of a ganglion is that they will enlarge and then shrink is size.
A ganglion cyst is a benign tumor, or lump which is basically a sac filled with fluid that arises from either a joint (space between two bones) or from a tendon (structure that attaches a muscle into bone). The growth is more common in women with 70 percent of ganglion cysts occurring in people between 20-40 years of age. On rare occasions they have been known to occur in children younger than 10 years of age. About 4% of all ganglion cysts occur on the feet.
Causes
Ganglions usually occur due to a weakness in the covering of a tendon or joint space. While ganglia can follow local trauma to the tendon or joint, they usually form for unknown reasons. Occasionally, ganglia are early signs of arthritis that will become more obvious in the future.
Treatment
Small ganglions that are not symptomatic or painful usually require no treatment.If the growth is a source of irritation for the patient then surgical excision is necessary keeping in mind that there is even a recurrence rate with this form of treatment.
A non-surgical form of treatment is termed “needling”. This involves numbing the area with a local anesthesia. Once the area is numb a large gauge needle is placed into the ganglion. The ganglion is then punctured with the needle several times. A steroid medication may then be placed into the mass and a snug bandage applied. This treatment has a 70% recurrence rate.
» Filed Under Latest News
Comments
Leave a Reply
