About this topic
A ganglion cyst is a common lump that forms under the skin. It can appear on the hand, leg, foot, or wrist. The cysts are made up of a fluid-filled sac. The liquid is like synovial fluid which is the fluid between joints. The cysts often appear near joints. They do not spread and are not a sign of cancer. ‚
No one knows the real cause of these bumps. They may be caused by too much use of a joint or by injury or arthritis. ‚
A ganglion cyst can go away even without treatment. When it needs to be treated, there are a few choices: ‚
- Drugs
- Splints
- Draining the lump with a needle
- Surgery
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What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
- Splints:
- If you are given a splint or brace, wear it for 2 to 6 weeks. Avoid moving that part of your body if possible. This may help shrink the cyst.
- When bathing, remove the splint or brace. Put it back on right away after bathing.
- Drugs:
- Your doctor may inject a drug to reduce swelling. Keep the injection site clean and dry.
- Surgery:
- You may need surgery to cut out the cyst. Talk to your doctor about how to care for your cut site. Ask your doctor about:
- When you should change your bandages
- When you may take a bath or shower
- If you need to be careful with lifting things over 10 pounds
- When you may go back to your normal activities like work or driving
- Draining the Fluid With a Needle:
- The doctor may drain the fluid from the cyst with a needle. Then, the doctor will put a bandage on the wound. Change the bandage often as fluid may still come out of the wound. Keep the wound clean and dry for 24 to 48 hours.
What follow-up care is needed?
- Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits.
- If you have stitches or staples, you will need to have them taken out. Your doctor will often want to do this in 1 to 2 weeks.
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Help with pain and swelling
Will physical activity be limited?
- You need to rest the body part for a week or so.
- If you had surgery, this could limit your movement.
- A brace or splint may limit the movements of some joints.
What problems could happen?
- Infection
- Bleeding
- Nerve injury
- Injury to other structures near the cyst
- Cyst may come back
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of infection. These include a fever of 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C) or higher, chills, wound that will not heal.
- Signs of wound infection. These include swelling, redness, warmth around the wound; too much pain when touched; yellowish, greenish, or bloody discharge; foul smell coming from the cut site; cut site opens up.
- Numbness or tingling of your fingers or toes
- Weakness of the hands or foot
- Ganglion cyst comes back
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my condition.
- I can tell you what what may help ease my pain.
- I can tell you how to care for my cut site, if I have one.
- I can tell you what I will do if I have more pain, weakness, numbness, or tingling in my fingers or toes or the cyst comes back.
Where can I learn more?
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons ‚
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00006#Cause ‚
American Society for Surgery of the Hand ‚
http://www.assh.org/public/handconditions/pages/ganglioncysts.aspx ‚
Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety ‚
http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/diseases/ganglion.html ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
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Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚