Ganglions
Hand Conditions
Wrist Conditions
Elbow Conditions
What is it?
Wrist and finger ganglions are fluid-filled swellings that usually develop near a joint or tendon. The cyst can range from the size of a pea to the size of a golf ball.
What are the symptoms?
Wrist or finger ganglions look and feel like a smooth lump under the skin. They’re made up of a thick, jelly-like fluid called synovial fluid, which surrounds joints and tendons to lubricate and cushion them during movement.
Ganglions can occur alongside any joint in the body, but are most common on the wrists (particularly the back of the wrist), hands and fingers.
Ganglions are harmless, but can sometimes be painful. They can interfere with work or exercise. They can also rarely compress a nerve, causing numbness or tingling.
what is the treatment?
Ganglions can resolve spontaneously by themselves. So if they are small and not causing symptoms, they can be safely left alone.
For larger ganglions, they can either be aspirated with a syringe or surgically removed with a small operation. Surgery is generally more successful, as the recurrence rate with a syringe aspiration is high.
