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Ganglion cyst

Ganglion (cystis synovialis) · Ganglion (šlachová cysta)

What it is

A jelly-filled lump growing out of a joint lining or tendon sheath, most often on the back of the wrist; harmless, and often gone on its own.

Symptoms & signs

  • Smooth round lump on the wrist, hand or foot
  • size that comes and goes
  • ache or weakness when it presses on a tendon
  • tingling if it presses on a nerve
  • lump that glows when a torch is held to it

🚩 Get help if…

  • see a doctor soon Lump that is hard, fixed or growing fast
  • see a doctor soon Numbness, tingling or weakness in the fingers
  • see a doctor soon Red, hot, painful lump or fever
  • see a doctor soon Lump that bleeds or changes colour

Where it strikes

Medical treatment

  • Leave alone — about half disappear
  • ultrasound to confirm
  • needle aspiration (often returns)
  • surgical excision if painful or pressing on a nerve

Natural & lifestyle

  • Rest the wrist from heavy gripping
  • splint for a few weeks
  • warm compresses

Emerging & experimental

  • Aspiration with hyaluronidase or steroid
  • arthroscopic excision

Alternative, off-label & anecdotal

Approaches used outside the guidelines, with what their supporters report and what testing has found so far.

  • Striking it with a heavy book ('Bible bump') — it bursts but usually returns, and the blow can injure the hand not confirmed in trials
  • Castor oil or apple cider vinegar compresses — anecdotal anecdotal / traditional
  • Acupuncture and moxibustion — Chinese case series report shrinkage early / small studies

ICD codes