Ganglion Cysts – Cyst Hand

Do you appear to have suddenly developed a large “mushroom” of fluid on your hand or wrist?

Do not panic. This condition – known as a ganglion cyst – is the most common soft tissue tumor of the hand/wrist. It usually appears on the dorsal (back) area of the wrist, though it can also occur on the palm. And, despite their sometimes alaming appearance, they are not malignant like cancer cells and do not spread throughout the body.

This hand cyst can be compared to a balloon that is filled with clear jelly, attached to the joint or tendon through a hollow stalk. Fluid normally traveling between joint and tendon is diverted to the “balloon” due to injury.

Many treatments are available, and ganglion cyst hand treatment does not always require surgery.

The first choice of treatment for a ganglion cyst is…nothing. When the cyst does not limit the patient’s routine activities and is not painful or uncomfortable, doing nothing can sometimes be the best option. The cysts occasionally disappear on their own.

Another choice is to puncture or aspirate the cyst. This procedure should always be performed by a medical professional, however, to ensure there is no contact with nearby nerves or, worse, a major artery. Aspiration is preferable to puncturing, especially if the cyst is near the surface. Puncturing may not produce effective drainage if the cyst has been present for some time.

A final and very effective option is ganglion cyst hand surgery. This is still the most reliable method of removing a cyst in the hand. The procedure involves cutting open the wrist to expose the tendon sheath or joint in order to remove the stalk or the root of the cyst. When the root of the cyst is removed, incidences of recurrence are very low.

ganglion cyst, cyst hand, cyst on hand, ganglion cyst hand, hand cysts, ganglion cyst hand treatment, ganglion cyst hand surgery