How is a ganglion cyst formed and how to treated it?

Question

Hi doctor,

My 4-year-old daughter had dropped a heavy toy on her leg, and there was swelling. I took an ultrasound, and the report stated that it is a hypoechoic region, which is fluid surrounding the bone. Though it has reduced in size, it is not entirely gone. Is there any medicine to make it vanish completely? It has been there for more than three months. She has no pain. Earlier, the region was bright pink, and now it looks brown. It is hardly visible without flexing her leg. The orthopedician said that since it is in the joint, it could be a ganglion cyst. I have attached the reports, and please do suggest what treatment has to be done for it to completely disappear.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Well, that is a ganglion, which would have been already there before the injury, but you would not have noticed it. The injury was just a coincidence. There is no need to worry about it because most ganglion regresses on its own with time. If not, they are completely asymptomatic. Only you have to worry if there is an increase in size and if it becomes painful, but it is extremely rare to have complications. If you want any active intervention, then there are two options. One is surgical removal, which is the best option. The second is to aspirate with a needle and put medicine into it, but recurrence rates are very high with the second option.