Lumps, known as ganglion cysts or Bible cysts, typically develop along the tendons or joints of the wrists or hands. They may also form in the ankles and feet, are circular or oval, and have a jelly-like fluid inside. They are non-cancerous, although the size of ganglion cysts varies. They can be as small as a pea or large as a golf ball. Let’s learn about its causes, symptoms, and more.

Causes
Patients of any age can develop ganglion cysts. Although their source is uncertain, these bible cysts might develop in response to an injury, arthritis, tendon or joint irritation, mechanical alterations, or stress. Fluid buildup around tendons or joints causes ganglion cysts in your hand, wrist, ankle, or foot. This accumulation may result from trauma, overuse, or injury. There is evidence that these cysts and arthritis may be connected.

Ganglion cysts may be more likely to appear because of the following factors:

• Age and gender – Bible cysts can affect anyone; women between 20 and 40 are more likely to acquire them than men.
• Osteoarthritis – The chance of developing ganglion cysts proximal to the finger joints is increased in people with wear-and-tear arthritis in those parts.
• Damage to a tendon or joint – Bible cysts usually develop in injured joints or tendons.

Symptoms
Ganglion cyst symptoms can include:

• A soft lump or hump that changes sizes but does not move
• Swelling that might develop gradually or unexpectedly
• Although many cysts aren’t uncomfortable, some can be, especially after acute or repeated damage
• Whether there is one colossal cyst or several smaller ones, they are typically joined by deeper tissue
• It can become smaller or possibly vanish and reappear
• Chronic pain may worsen with joint mobility
• You can have weakness in the affected finger if the cyst is attached to a tendon

Diagnosis

• The location and appearance of the lump are typically used to make the diagnosis. These cysts frequently allow light to pass through them, which could help with the identification. To help distinguish between a solid tumor and one filled with liquid, like a ganglion cyst, transillumination, or the process of beaming light through an area of the body to check for abnormalities, is utilized.
• Your surgeon will ask for X-rays to look for signs of issues in nearby joints. Additionally, they can be seen on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which is useful when a cyst is suspected but difficult to feel during the examination. Your doctor will also inquire about your medical background to diagnose your condition.
• By drawing some of the cyst’s fluid out with a syringe (a procedure known as needle aspiration) or by utilizing ultrasonography, your doctor may be able to confirm the diagnosis further. When sound waves hit various tissues, an ultrasound image is created. It can establish if the bump is solid or fluid-filled (cystic). If a lump is caused by an artery or blood vessel, an ultrasound can also identify it. If the bump is big, solid, or involves an artery, your doctor might refer you to a surgeon.

Treatment options
Unless you have experienced severe trauma, a ganglion cyst does not require emergency treatment. However, a routine examination by your doctor or an orthopedic surgeon is often sufficient.

Non-surgical treatment

• Observation – Doing nothing but notifying your doctor if a bump changes or is staying still.
• Splints and anti-inflammatory formulations – These treatments help lessen discomfort from particular activities. For example, splinting is a brace that prevents movement in the cyst-affected area. This will lessen further irritation brought on by the motion of the joint. For example, you might feel more at ease, and the swelling might lessen.
• Aspiration – A needle is used to aspirate the fluid from the ganglion cyst. To perform this, a doctor will numb the area first. Since the cyst wasn’t completely removed, it can fill with fluid again. The outpatient clinic is where this process is carried out.

Surgical treatment
During this surgery, the doctor removes the cyst and the region around it that connects it to the joint. If aspiration has failed to relieve the mass’s symptoms and is uncomfortable, obstructing function (particularly in your dominant hand), or causing numbness or tingling in the palm or fingers, your physician may advise surgery. The cyst’s likelihood of returning significantly decreases after excision, but it is still possible. Following surgery, patients must wear a splint for two weeks. An operation is a safe option, but there are drawbacks, including a more extended recovery period and risks of infection, scars, pain, delayed healing, bleeding at the surgical site, recurrence (return of the cyst), and potential damage to nearby blood vessels, nerves, and tissues.