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What the hell is this? (Ganglion Cysts)

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  • What the hell is this? (Ganglion Cysts)

    My friend has this bump thing that appeared on her wrist sometime this year. She thinks that when she started working out, it appeared. According to her, it does not hurt. Could this be a cyst doc or anyone else? I hope the picture is clear enough. Thanx
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    Amithaba

  • #2
    More than likely it's a ganglion cyst. But making a diagnosis over the internet, is, well, bad form. As usual, a physician's visit is in order.

    Ganglion cysts arise when the fluid that bathes the wrist joints and tendons (within their sheathes) leaks out, because of trauma or aggressive exercise, or, just normal "wear and tear". These cystic structures contain the synovial fluid which is found within the wrist joint. Think of these little structures in terms of a bicycle tire. Well, old bicycle tires. When they had inner tubes. You get a tear in the rubber tire, and the inside tube swells out of the hole, containing the air that is inside the inner tube. The so called, bubble.

    They are benign lesions. Sometimes they resolve on their own, sometimes they don't change in size, sometimes they enlarge and become painful. An accurate diagnosis needs to be made, because other things that grow on the back of the hand, such as lipoma's (benign fiatty tissue), liposarcoma's (rare, a cancerous fatty tissue), giant cell tumors (which can become malignant), and infectious cysts need to be treated differently.

    Treatment of these ganglion cysts depends upon the progression of the disease. Half the time, with rest, these things tend to get smaller and go away. However, because the synovial fluid inside tends to get gelatinous with time, the incidence of self resolution diminishes, the longer you have it. Aspiration of the contents so that that cyst collapses upon itself is another option, though, trying to withdraw gelatinous fluid thourgh a needle can be difficult and ineffective. Besides, these cysts can come back. Surgery, which can be done in a short time, and on an outpatient basis, is most effective.

    The old way of treating these things, was with a bible. You would have the patient kneel down before a kitchen table, with both hands lying flat upon the surface. The patient would then read from the book of Job, about some poor bastard that nothing seemed to go right for, and then, the patient's friend would close the bible, and, wiith a herculean effort, smack the hand containing the cyst. Smashing the little bugger caused the cyst to rupture, its contents to be reabsorbed, with eventual healing of the inflamed structure. It worked.

    I don't advise that avenue. though. If you really want to smack something, buy a Colliseum pass and have at it. Bring your friend to a physician, and let him watch it. He might suggest waiting to see if the thing reabsorbs on its own, and, eventually, operate on it if it doesn't.
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    • #3
      My brother had a rather large one like that for about a year. My advice for your friend: dont **** with it, as it will surely get worse.

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      • #4
        Anytime you have a growing mass, SEE YOUR DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY,

        In TCM, that would be a stagnation of damp, phlegm, or blood depending on symptoms. And all of those can range from benign hyperplasia to cancerous tumours.

        Get it checked out.
        Show me a man who has forgotten words, so that I can have a word with him.

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