Ganglion cysts

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Causes

By Mayo Clinic staff

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Illustration showing ganglion cyst Ganglion cyst

It's not clear what causes a ganglion cyst to develop. It grows out of a joint, similar to a balloon on a stalk, and seems to occur when the tissue that surrounds a joint or a tendon bulges out of place. Inside the cyst is a thick, sticky fluid similar to that found in joints or around tendons.

DS00767

July 3, 2008

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