Arterial cystic degeneration

Adventitial cystic disease: A unifying hypothesis

“…A possible joint-related origin for cystic adventitial disease therefore appears to be the most probable explanation. Our attempts in three cases, and those of other authors, 23,25,27,30 to demonstrate a synovial origin using histochemical markers for synovium and endothelium, have been unsuccessful in linking the cyst lining in this condition to synovium. Others who have investigated the chemistry of the cyst contents, have found the cyst fluid to differ substantially from synovial fluid when subjected to chemical analysis.…”

“…The suggestion that synovial rests may have been the source of the cyst is unlikely, because synovial cavity formation arises through liquefaction of the limb bud mesenchyme rather than from specialized cell types 20,37 and histochemical markers for synovium are absent in adventitial cysts. 23,25,27,30 However, this does not exclude the possibility that mucin-like secreting mesenchymal cell rests may be incorporated into the vessel wall during development, and that these cell rests give rise to the adventitial cystic manifestation with anatomic and chemical characteristics different from normal synovial tissues.…”