Troublesome Lump on Your Foot or Ankle?

A ganglion cyst is a benign tumor, or lump that can occur anywhere on the body, but is most prevalent on the hands, but also very common on the feet. It is a sac filled with fluid that arises from either a joint (space between two bones) or from a tendon (structure that attaches a muscle into bone).

Ganglion cysts are also known as bible cysts or sometimes Gideon cysts because years ago the recommended treatment was to smash the growth with a book in order to break it up and even the poorest of families owned a bible.

Ganglion cysts vary in size and may get smaller or larger over time and may even disappear, only to possibly return later.

Ganglion cysts are more common in women with 70% of ganglion cysts occurring in people between 20-40 years of age. About 4% of all ganglion cysts occur on the feet.

Signs and symptoms associated with a ganglion cysts may include:
- A noticeable lump
- Tingling or burning, if the cyst is touching a nerve.
- Dull pain or ache, which may indicate the cyst is pressing against a tendon or
joint.

Ganglion cysts are usually caused by some type of injury. For example, a ganglion cyst might develop after something drops on the foot, if the foot was twisted while walking or after too much stress was placed on a joint or tendon.

Treatment options for a ganglion cyst include:
- Monitoring
If the cyst causes no pain and does not interfere with walking, it is best
to carefully watch the cyst over a period of time.
- Shoe modifications:
Wearing shoes that do not rub the cyst or cause irritation or placing a pad inside the shoe may
help reduce pressure against the cyst.
- Aspiration and injection.
This technique involves draining the fluid and then injecting a steroid medication into the mass.
More than one session may be needed.
- Surgery.
When other treatment options fail or are not appropriate, the cyst may need to be surgically
removed. While the recurrence rate associated with surgery is much lower than that
experienced with aspiration and injection therapy, there are nevertheless cases in which the
ganglion cyst returns.

If you or someone you know has this condition and would like additional information, please do not hesitate to give our office a call, 440-946-5858 or visit our website at www.drrobertrosenstein.com.