Ganglion cyst
| Ganglion cyst | |
|---|---|
| Specialty | Rheumatology  |
A ganglion cyst, also known as a bible cyst, is a swelling that often appears on or around joints and tendons in the hand or foot. The size of the ganglion or cyst can vary over time. It is most frequently located around the dorsum of the wrist and on the fingers. The term "Bible bump" comes from a common treatment in the past that consisted of hitting the cyst with a Bible or another large book.[1] Rupture of the cyst is rarely curative; trying to pop it typically does not fix it but in fact worsens it.[citation needed]
Cause
Ganglion cysts are idiopathic, but presumably reflect a variation in normal joint or tendon sheath function. Cysts near joints are connected to the joint and the leading theory is that a type of check valve forms that allows fluid out of the joint, but not back in. The cyst contains clear fluid similar to, but thicker than, normal synovial fluid. They are most often found around the wrist joint, especially at the scapho-lunate joint, which accounts for 80% of all ganglion cysts.
Treatment
With surgery, the recurrence rate is reduced to 5 to 10% if the check valve at the joint capsule is removed. Arthroscopy of the wrist is becoming available as an alternative to open excision of ganglion cysts.
Another treatment applied is the use of a needle to drain the fluid from the cyst, however if the fluid has become thick due to the passage of time this treatment is not always effective.
An out-dated method of treating a ganglion cyst was supposedly to strike the lump with a large heavy book, causing the cyst to rupture and drain into the surrounding tissues. An urban legend states that since even the poorest households often possessed a Bible, this was commonly used, which led to the nicknaming of ganglion cysts as "Bible bumps" or "Gideon's disease."[1]
