Ganglion cysts in the lateral portal region of the knee after arthroscopy: report of two cases

Abstract

A ganglion cyst (GC) is a mucinous or gelatinous-filled benign tumor overlying a joint or tendon sheath, which commonly arises in the dorsal and volar wrist side but may occur anywhere in the body. Although cystic lesions around the knee are common, the occurrence of GCs are rare. Ganglia may arise from intra or extra-articular, soft tissue, intraosseous, or periosteal location. Symptoms may vary according to the size and location. After the more frequent performance of magnetic resonance imaging for the assessment of a knee joint, the number of incidental, asymptomatic lesions have been increasingly diagnosed. The etiology of GC remains unclear; however, trauma and a flaw in the joint tissues may explain its appearance. The authors report two cases of women aged 47 years and 37 years who presented pain and swelling in their left knees following arthroscopic partial medial meniscectomy. The former was surgically treated and had a favorable outcome, while the latter had conservative treatment and a gloomy outcome.

Atraumatic intra‐articular, extra‐synovial ganglion cyst of the lateral knee deep to the iliotibial band: A case report and review of the literature

“…Intra‐articular GC of the knee are clinically rare in orthopedic practice but have been reported to occur in the cruciate ligaments, menisci, subchondral bone, alar folds, patellar tendon, and fat pad 3–7 . Commonly detected as incidental findings on MRI, intra‐articular GC are reported to have a prevalence between 0.9% and 1.3% 8,9 .…”

“…Commonly detected as incidental findings on MRI, intra‐articular GC are reported to have a prevalence between 0.9% and 1.3% 8,9 . GC of the lateral knee has been described in the available literature, with two cases occurring following arthroscopic meniscectomy and an atraumatic case arising from Hoffa's fat pad, all of which were subsequently treated with surgical excision of the cyst with variable postoperative outcomes and no recurrence 6,7 . Furthermore, intraneural GC of the knee has been reported in patients presenting with foot drop and peripheral neuropathy, which were all from articular origin within the knee joint and subsequently excised surgically 10,11 .…”

“…Intra‐articular GC of the knee are clinically rare in orthopedic practice but have been reported to occur in the cruciate ligaments, menisci, subchondral bone, alar folds, patellar tendon, and fat pad. 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 Commonly detected as incidental findings on MRI, intra‐articular GC are reported to have a prevalence between 0.9% and 1.3%. 8 , 9 GC of the lateral knee has been described in the available literature, with two cases occurring following arthroscopic meniscectomy and an atraumatic case arising from Hoffa's fat pad, all of which were subsequently treated with surgical excision of the cyst with variable postoperative outcomes and no recurrence.…”

“…Intra‐articular GC of the knee are rare and have been reported to arise from the cruciate ligaments, menisci, popliteal tendons, alar folds, and subchondral bone 3–5 . Additionally, GC arising from the lateral portion of the knee have been described in recent literature following arthroscopic medial meniscus repair that were both subsequently excised surgically 6 . This case report presents a case of an atraumatic intraarticular, extrasynovial ganglion cyst of the lateral knee located deep to the iliotibial (IT) band and superficial to both the fibular collateral ligament and lateral femoral condyle that was successfully treated nonoperatively through repeat joint aspirations.…”

“… 3 , 4 , 5 Additionally, GC arising from the lateral portion of the knee have been described in recent literature following arthroscopic medial meniscus repair that were both subsequently excised surgically. 6 This case report presents a case of an atraumatic intraarticular, extrasynovial ganglion cyst of the lateral knee located deep to the iliotibial (IT) band and superficial to both the fibular collateral ligament and lateral femoral condyle that was successfully treated nonoperatively through repeat joint aspirations. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of this pathology that was treated without surgical intervention.…”