Hello and welcome to the Zero to Finals podcast. My name is Tom and in this episode I'm going to be talking to you about ganglion cysts.

And you can find written notes on this topic at zero tofinals.com slash ganglion cysts or in the orthopaedic section of the zero to finals surgery book.

So let's get straight into it.

Ganglion cysts are sacks of synovial fluid that originate from the tendon sheaths or from

the joints.

They commonly occur in the wrist and the fingers, but they can occur anywhere

there is a joint or a tendon sheath. Gangly insists are thought to occur when the synovial

membrane of the tendon sheath or the joint herniates, forming a pouch. The synovial fluid in the

tendon sheath or the joint can then flow into the pouch forming a cyst,

and a cyst is a fluid-filled sack.

Let's go through the presentation.

Ganglion cysts can appear rapidly over days, or they can appear gradually.

Patients present with a visible and a palpable lump.

Ganglion cysts are not usually painful.

Rarely they may compress nerves leading to sensory or motor symptoms.

On examination, ganglion cysts range in size from about half a centimetre to five centimeters or more, most are less than

two centimeters, they're firm and non-tender on palpation, they're well circumscribed meaning

you can clearly establish the borders, and they can transilluminate. When you shine a torch

into the cyst, the whole lump lights up.

So how do you make a diagnosis? Ganglian cysts are mostly diagnosed clinically,

based on the history and examination findings. X-rays will show normal bones and normal joints,

unless there are co-existing conditions.

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