Having a lump appear on your body is unnerving, but if the cyst appears on your wrist, hand, ankle, or feet 一 there is a good chance it’s a noncancerous ganglion cyst. Many ganglion cysts resolve without intervention, but if you experience pain or difficulty moving your joints, Kris Ford, DPM, and Jonathan Lorenzana, DPM, at South Alamo Foot & Ankle at San Antonio, Texas, offer treatment options. Call the practice or schedule an appointment online today to learn more about ganglion cyst removal.
Ganglion Cyst Q&A
What is a ganglion cyst?
Ganglion cysts are round or oval lumps filled with jelly-like fluid similar to the fluid found in joints and around tendons in your body. Ganglion cysts commonly develop along the joints or tendons of your wrists, hands, ankles, or feet, and look a little like a small water balloon on a stick that is growing out of your joint or the lining of a tendon.
Anyone can get a ganglion cyst, but the following factors increase your risk:
Female between the ages of 20 and 40
Osteoarthritis in the finger joints near the fingernails
Previous joint or tendon injury
Ganglion cysts are noncancerous and range in size from small, pea-sized bumps on the skin to around an inch in diameter.
Is a ganglion cyst painful?
Most ganglion cysts don’t cause any symptoms and don’t usually cause pain unless they press against a nerve. Cysts of any size pressing on a nerve may cause tingling, numbness, pain, or muscle weakness. Sometimes a cyst also interferes with your joint movements.
Make an appointment with South Alamo Foot & Ankle if you experience pain or symptoms with a ganglion cyst.
What are the treatment options for ganglion cysts?
For painless ganglion cysts, South Alamo takes a wait-and-see approach, as many will resolve on their own without treatment. If your cyst causes pain or difficulty with joint movements, the team at South Alamo Foot & Ankle may recommend:
Immobilizing the area
Because movement can cause ganglion cysts to grow larger, your doctor sometimes temporarily immobilizes the area with a splint or brace. You should experience less pain as the cyst gets smaller and stops putting pressure on your nerves.
Draining the cyst
In some cases, draining the fluid from a ganglion cyst is the best course. Your doctor uses a needle to aspirate the cyst.
Surgical removal of the cyst
Your doctor may recommend surgery if other treatment options haven’t worked to remove your ganglion cyst. Both the cyst and the tiny stalk attached to your joint or tendon are removed. Surgery is kept as a last resort for ganglion cyst removal because there is a small risk that the surgery can injure surrounding nerves, tendons, or blood vessels.
Schedule an appointment online or call South Alamo Foot & Ankle for treatment if you experience symptoms with a ganglion cyst.
