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 or the lining of a tendon, looking like a tiny water 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 lubricating fluid similar to that found in joints or around tendons.

Risk factors Symptoms
References
  1. Sheon RP, et al. Ganglia and nodules. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Oct. 30, 2012.
  2. Frontera WR, et al. Essentials of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation: Musculoskeletal Disorders, Pain, and Rehabilitation. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/208746819-6/0/1678/0.html. Accessed Oct. 30, 2012.
  3. Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2013: 5 Books in 1. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2012. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-08373-7..00002-9&isbn=978-0-323-08373-7&about=true&uniqId=343863096-23. Accessed Oct. 30, 2012.
  4. Ganglion cysts. American Society for Surgery of the Hand. http://www.assh.org/Public/HandConditions/Pages/GanglionCysts.aspx. Accessed Oct. 30, 2012.
  5. Amadio PA (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Nov. 6, 2012.
DS00767 Jan. 8, 2013

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